Vocaloid Academy
by Novelist's Fantasy
Summary: Vocaloid Academy is always full of life and happiness. However, there are also strange curses and conflicts among the students, especially a deep, dark past that is slowly making its way to the present. Written by anajadenx and theKeeperofMemories.
1. Prologue

**So... hi! This is a co-written story by theKeeperofMemories and chocolatebackground, as you should be able to tell.**

 **theKeeperofMemories wrote the prologue, and chocolatebackground will write Chapter One, and so on.**

 **Please R &R!**

 **Prologue**

Dark… so dark… and cold… freezing…

I was blind… trapped… the pain, the torture…

Her bright smile, so warm and innocent. Her elegance, her pride… my sacrifice… her tears…

The blood on my hands… the lingering smell of roses, mingling with the metallic scent of blood… the cries and shouts of anger and pain… the fires dying the world red, the smoke smudging the sky black… the scent fear and sweat… the room, dark and cold… the chains, so heavy with sin… the blade, so sharp, gleaming in the sunlight… a flash of red…

And here I was. Here, it was even darker, even colder. I was freezing, and there was nothing to protect me from the biting cold. The chains were even heavier, dragging me to the ground.

I was vulnerable, naked, and cold. Tears constantly trickled down my cheeks as the guilt and sin pressed me down, making it difficult to breathe.

My only comfort was the soft lullaby echoing through the room. It sounded so much like her…

If only I could have another chance… if I could just see her again…

But eternity had passed, and nothing had happened.

The lullaby continued to play, and I added words to it, singing along until my voice was hoarse. I continued to sing, my voice replacing everything I had forgotten.

Why was there guilt? Why am I chained? What is this scent of blood and smoke? Where is she?

But one day, the day after eternity, the lullaby changed.

A voice, familiar and haunting, echoed through my prison.

"You are forgiven," it said. "Your wish has come true. But I will never forget your crime. Neither will any of us. We never will."

And suddenly, it was so light, so free. I was free.

Warmth flowed through my veins, filling me, and I shuddered with pleasure.

And everything was so bright, so colorful, so beautiful.

The green was vibrant, the brown rich. The purple and red, yellow and white so bright and pure. The blue was so vast, the black so lacking.

I was in a forest.

And before me was a mirror, crafted and embroidered with gold. It was taller than me, the borders a beautiful pattern of flowers, vines, and trees. Tiny faeries with silver tipped wings hid behind the leaves, goblins peeked over the vines and birds rested on the trees, tending their nests.

I ran my hand over the gold, so skillfully crafted and designed, so vibrant and trembling with life, with magic.

I looked into the mirror.

I haven't changed. In fact, I looked better than the last time I saw myself in a mirror.

Then, the mirror rippled as if a pebble had been thrown into it, and my reflection disappeared, replaced by an image of a tidy, comfortable room.

The walls were painted bright gold, with little orange and red roses. The bed was unmade, but it wasn't messy. Near the bed was a closet made of simple wood, and across the room, opposite of the bed, was a desk.

And sitting at the desk, scribbling away in a notebook, was _her_.


	2. Welcome to Vocaloid Academy

**Hello, everyone. Welcome back to this story. Thank you all for reviewing, reading, following, etc.**

 **Welcome to Vocaloid Academy**

For a brief moment, Rin just stood there. For a brief moment, she just didn't know what to do. A new life full of new opportunities would have been a blessing for most people, but to her, it's a nightmare.

Vocaloid Academy was more of a castle than a school, really. There were towers and battlements, the worn brown stones covered in dark moss and ivy. It was there centuries ago, where only the most elite of all students were allowed to attend, and Rin was one of them.

Rin inhaled quietly. She straightened her backpack and retied the ribbon in her hair, feeling painfully vulnerable in her light blouse and dark shorts. The great doors were wide open, where students walked in and out, chatting idly with old friends or making new ones. There were people of all sizes, shapes, and ages, from young kindergarteners to people on their last year of university.

Rin forced herself to move, her sneakers padding softly over the damp stone floor. Inside the castle, it was grander than ever, the towering ceiling made of stained glass, throwing colorful bits of light across the deep red carpet.

Rin made her way to the front desk, where a line of students waited to get their schedules, classes, and dorm room keys.

"Hi!"

Rin turned around, surprised, to see a pretty girl with long teal twin ponytails standing behind her, smiling. Her eyes were a startling shade of bright blue.

"Hi, I'm Hatsune Miku," the girl said.

"I'm Kagamine Rin," Rin said hastily.

Miku glanced at Rin curiously. "Are you new?"

"Yes," Rin said, feeling slightly awkward. Miku looked older than her, and messing with older people was definitely a little too uncomfortable for her taste.

"Welcome to Vocaloid Academy!" Miku said, shaking both of her hands violently, beaming. They reached the front of the line, and grabbed their schedules, heading towards the dorms to drop their things off, Miku showing Rin around on the way.

"Thanks," Rin said, smiling hesitantly.

Miku laughed. Her laughter was so sweet and delicate. "I'll walk you to the dorms, and I'll take you to meet some friends. They'll love you!"

"Thanks," Rin said again, stunned, but somehow, she felt something warm inside of her. Miku was a little too happy and optimistic, but she was a friend, and friends were definitely good.

Soon, they arrived at the dorms. Miku would run to her room first to drop off her bags before finding Rin in her room. Rin made her way to her room nervously.

When Rin opened the door, she didn't quite know what to say. The room was simple, but clean and comfortable. An opened window welcomed fresh spring air into the room. A small bed was placed in the middle of the room, surrounded by a closet and a large desk. Hanging on the wall in front of the desk was a mirror.

Rin dropped her bags on the bed and started walking towards the mirror. She didn't know what she was doing. Why did she feel so… drawn to the mirror? It was just nothing but a simple mirror. Yeah, sure, it was really pretty, with a gold frame and delicately crafted designs near the border, but…

There was a sharp knock on the door. Rin stumbled over her shoes as she grabbed the door, opening it to see Miku standing there, along with a pretty pink-haired girl. While Miku was laughing, the pink-haired girl wore a look of careful concentration on her face, looking surprisingly mature.

"Hi, Rin!" Miku beamed. "This is Megurine Luka, my friend."

Luka smiled briefly at Rin.

"Hi, Luka," Rin said shyly.

Miku laughed again, grabbing Rin's and Luka's hands. She ran down the hall, dragging the two of them with her, running right into a classroom.

Again, Rin was stunned. So many students were there, laughing and talking with one another. Some of them were listening to music, while others sang, their voices melding together into a beautiful harmony.

"Hey, everyone!" Miku called.

Immediately, everyone fell silent, looking at the three of them. Luka sighed quietly.

"This is Kagamine Rin," Miku announced, gesturing towards Rin.

Rin felt her face flush. There were so many people, and they were all looking at her. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry.

Suddenly, the room burst into a chorus of "Hi,"s and "Welcome to the Academy!"s. At least a dozen students walked up to Rin, shaking her hands, introducing themselves, and even giving her some tips about surviving the Academy. Gumi, IA, Yuki, Ring, Yukari… all of the names blended into her mind into a whirling mess.

The chaos was interrupted when a sharp rapping echoed throughout the room. Immediately, every student scrambled into their seats, arranging their books and getting out pencils. Rin, Miku, and Luka took seats at the back of the room, facing the board.

A tall man with brown hair and glasses on his face walked in, carrying an electric guitar, which he leaned against the wall as he faced the classroom. The lights glinted off his glasses, making him appear quite un-teacher-like. He looked more like a very young uncle or an older brother, really.

"Good morning, everyone. Do you all have your things packed away?" the man asked.

The class mumbled their agreement.

The man smiled kindly. "I'm Mr. Hiyama, your homeroom teacher. Let's begin our lesson for today…"

Rin glanced at Miku and Luka. Miku was dutifully taking notes, while Luka doodled in her notebook. Rin took a few notes as well, but mostly, she was astonished. Most of the teachers she had were so boring she fell asleep in an instant, but Mr. Hiyama was different. His lesson was really fun, and when the lesson ended, everyone was crying from laughing too much.

After the school day, Miku, Luka, and a few other friends took Rin around the school, pointing out the best places to eat, the teachers she should avoid, and so on. When Rin returned home, it was nearly midnight. Rin barely had time to undress before falling asleep in her bed.

 **~o*o~**

The next morning, Rin woke to the sound of the birds chirping outside her bedroom. She opened her eyes and saw the sunlight streaming through the opened window, chasing away the shadows.

Rin sat up and yawned. Her clothes were rumpled, and her hair was a glorious mess, but somehow, she felt wonderful. The Academy was great, and somehow, she fitted right in.

Rin padded over to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and showering quickly, changing into another blouse, shorts, and retying her hair before checking the clock. School started at eight in the morning, and it was only seven. She still had an hour to burn. She could go over to Miku or Luka, but she had a feeling that they would still be asleep.

Sighing, Rin sat down at the desk, and started organizing her books, labeling the notebooks and stacking the textbooks. Once she was done, she realized that she still had an empty yellow notebook in front of her. She didn't have a use for it.

Maybe she could keep a journal. Rin took out a pen and opened the notebook to a fresh page, and started to write. She described Miku, Luka, and a few other friends, how the lessons were like, and…

Rin glanced up at the mirror hanging in front of her, and gasped, stumbling back, tripping over her chair. For a brief moment, all she saw in that mirror was herself, but the mirror rippled, and suddenly, the face of a young blond boy filled the glass, his blue eyes wide open in shock.

"How…?" the boy choked, his eyes impossibly wide, staring right at her.

"What…?" Rin stuttered. She pointed furiously at him. "Who are you? Get out of my mirror!"

"I… I…" the boy stumbled over his words. Then, he sighed, and his shoulders sagged. He looked so sad Rin almost felt sorry for him.

"What are you doing in my mirror?" Rin demanded.

"I don't know," the boy said weakly. "I… I just woke up, and I just found myself here, in this mirror."

Rin's anger and confusion subsided, replaced by curiosity. Rin glanced at the boy again. He didn't look like much, with scruffy blond hair tied in a stumpy little ponytail, a slight frame, and sad blue eyes. He looks almost exactly like her, except for the fact that she was a girl, and he… was not.

"All right," Rin said. "I'm living in this room. It's nice to meet you… wait, what's your name?"

Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door. "Hey, are you up? I'm starving! We have to get to breakfast…"

Rin panicked. She glanced at the clock, and it was already 7:40 AM. In twenty minutes, school would start, and she had to go.

"Sorry, see you later!" Rin yelled at the boy, stuffing her books in her bag. Before she opened the door, she glanced back. "I'll talk to you after school?"

"Sure," the boy said, looking startled.

Rin smiled quickly before running outside. The room sank into silence.

"Len," the boy said, his smile gone. "My name is Len."


	3. The Boy in the Mirror

**So, thanks for everyone who have favorited this story. Please R &R! We appreciate your opinions, whether it's good or bad. :) Enjoy!**

 **The Boy in the Mirror**

When Miku first saw Rin, she thought her personality would be completely different from what Rin's real personality was.

With Rin's sunny, golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she looked like a happy, outgoing, cheerful person, just like Miku.

Miku had always wanted a friend more like her. In her group, the elites- 6 of the best students in the academy, all their personalities were different from her.

Gackpo was cheerful, sure, but he can also be cold. After all, he was a samurai. Or so he says. Miku herself had never seen him wield a sword before, though it might be because Vocaloid Academy had banned dangerous weapons.

Gumi was nice and optimistic, but she was also quiet and shy.

Kaito, handsome and perfect, was cheerful, goofy, mature, and gentle all rolled into one.

Luka wasn't as quiet as Gumi, but she wasn't exactly boisterous like Miku. She was also more mature, and guarded her mouth carefully, also unlike Miku.

Meiko… Let's not even mention the drunkard.

Rin was supposed to be just like her, Miku decided; but something had changed her, turned her into a depressed little girl. Quiet, shy, sad… these are all the traits Miku least expected Rin to be.

And for some time, she was like that. She was distant, barely ever talking, answering their questions with short, simple answers, her blue eyes always dull with pain.

But today was different.

Miku pounded on Rin's door desperately, as they were going to be late, and leapt back in shock when the door opened, revealing a beaming Rin.

Okay, maybe she wasn't beaming, but compared to her expressions the day before, she was beaming.

Miku handed her the piece of toast she had swiped for her on her way to Rin's dormitory and the two of them raced to the towering school building.

They went through the first two classes, dreaded Math and boring History, and then it was a short break.

Miku, Rin, and Luka strolled outside, enjoying the cool autumn breeze and crisp sunshine while Luka told them about this super embarrassing, funny prank she saw Akita Nero and Hibiki Lui pull on the horrible Math teacher. She shrieked like a banshee, Luka told them. And Rin laughed.

Her laugh was beautiful, warm like the autumn sun, clear like the ringing of bells.

It was the first time she had laughed.

Miku couldn't help staring. When Rin looked at her direction, feeling her stare, frowning, asking what was wrong, Miku could only say, "You laughed."

And when Rin heard that, she laughed again.

How random; how strange; how mysterious. What had changed the younger girl so?

But Miku never inquired her.

 **~o*o~**

Rin hurried back to her dormitory, already remembering the twisting paths and mazes she has to go through before arriving at her door.

A click, and the door swung open, and immediately, Rin rushed to the mirror, her eyes shining with excitement.

And she found nothing there, other than her own reflection.

Disappointed and heart-broken, she touched the mirror, calling out, "Hello?"

And then, to her shock, her image in the mirror moved, the mirror rippled once more, and there he stood, smiling gently, his fingers opposite of hers.

"Back from… school?" Rin couldn't help noticing how that word sounded awkward when the boy said it, but nonetheless, she nodded, deciding to ignore it.

She sat down, Indian style, and he matched her movements. Once again, she couldn't help but marvel how much he looked like her.

"So… hi," Rin said, slightly breathless. "My name is Rin. Yours?"

"Len," the boy answered. "My name is Len."

"Well," Rin took a deep breath. "Nice to meet you, Len. Now tell me, _how in heaven's name did you get in my mirror_?"

"You asked me that already," Len said, frowning lightly. "I told you that I don't know."

"That's ridiculous. How can you not know how you got somewhere?"

Len just shrugged.

"Ugh!" Rin threw her hands up in surrender. "This conversation is getting nowhere!"

"It certainly isn't," Len agreed.

An awkward silence filled the room while Rin thought about what to say. Len sat opposite of the mirror, his back slightly hunched, fiddling with his small ponytail.

"So…" he spoke up shyly, "How was your day?"

Rin looked up in surprise for a second before smiling and saying, "It was great! Luka actually videotaped that prank Nero and Hibiki did! And I learned stuff I never knew! Did you know that…" as she babbled on, Len listened quietly, never interrupting, always attentive.

His heart throbbed and when he looked at her, happily talking about her day, he couldn't help but smile. She looked so much like _her_ … but who was her?

He was jerked out of his thoughts when Rin asked, "What about you? How was your day?"

"Boring," answered Len. "There's nothing to do. What did you expect? I'm trapped here in this boring, empty forest."

"It's a very pretty forest though," Rin cocked her head to one side. "I could stare at it forever and never get sick of its beauty."

Len laughed quietly.

Another silence filled the room, but this time, it wasn't awkward or tense; it was a nice, comfortable silence where you just sit there and enjoy the presence of another person near you.

"Hey Len?" came Rin's soft voice.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever tried exploring the forest?"

"No. Why?"

"You should. Then maybe you won't be so bored."

Len smiled. "That's a good idea, Rin."

His lookalike smiled back.

"Have you noticed?"

"What?" Len gave her a curious look.

"We look so much alike." Rin twirled a strand of her blonde hair. "So alike we could be siblings. Almost like twins, if you think about it."

"Siblings, eh?" Len chuckled slightly.

"It's not funny!" Rin pouted. "I've always wanted a sibling!"

"Why?"

"It's so boring being alone. I mean, I have friends, but I've always wanted to feel how it's like to have a kid around your age who lives in the same house, have the same parents…"

Len shrugged. "Now that you said it, I wonder too. But I'm alone, always alone…"

A sudden cold swept over him and he drew his knees to his chest, hugging his legs and rubbing his arms. So cold…

He closed his eyes… so dark…

"Len?"

His eyes snapped open and he found Rin staring concernedly at him.

"It's okay," he told her. "It's just… so cold… so dark…"

Once again, Rin cocked her head to the side. "Are you blind?"

When Len heard the question. He blinked. Then blinked again. And then he burst out laughing, a true laugh, not forced, not fake.

"Do I look blind?" he choked out between spouts of laughter.

"Well… no," Rin admitted. "But the forest is neither dark nor cold."

"How do you know it's not cold?"

"Instinct, my boy. Instinct."

Len laughed again. And it felt so good, like a heavy burden was being lifted off of his shoulders, like he was being freed, actually freed, not freed then being trapped in this forest.

"Hey Len," Rin said as he calmed, "What do you eat there? Do you have food or water at all?"

Len shook his head. "No. I'm never hungry, nor thirsty. It's a blessing, I guess."

"Blessing?" Rin asked incredulously. "How is not eating or drinking a blessing? What about all those delicious foods in the world? Pizza! Steak! Cake! Ice Cream! Chocolate! Coke! Brownies!"

Len did not recognize any of the foods she had listed, other than steak, cake, and chocolate but he decided not to mention it and just shrugged.

"Once you get out of this mirror," Rin said firmly, "I'll take you to eat all the different types of food. Then, you re-think your words and tell me your new opinion!"

Len smiled sadly. "I don't think I'm ever getting out of here. I haven't in eternity. I won't for the rest of infinity."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rin scoffed. Then, in a softer voice, she said, "I'll get you out of there, Len, I will." She put a hand on the surface of the mirror. "Trust me, I promise."

Len smiled halfheartedly and put his hand on the surface of his side of the mirror, so their palms were facing each other.

And their hands fit together perfectly.


	4. To Break a Mirror

**Hi. Here's the next update. Hope you guys enjoy, and please review!**

 **Special thanks to Shadowell for helping out with the song!**

 **To Break a Mirror**

Popular, happy, cheerful, bubbly… those were the words everyone used to describe Miku. Those were the words Miku allowed people to describe her. But Miku knew that she was also a very observant girl. She noticed people, when people didn't notice her.

That was how she was the first to know about Rin's strange mood swings.

When Rin first arrived at school, she was nervous, which was perfectly normal. During school, Rin looked uneasy. Then, the next day, Rin was beaming, laughing like a sweet little girl, which she is. Suddenly again, she turned sad, and almost distressed. Miku was used to people with a mostly unchanging moods, but with Rin… everything was just so random!

As the students poured out of the classroom and headed down to lunch, Miku, Luka, and Rin walked together, chatting. Sometimes, they talked about the latest test scores, Mr. Hiyama's jokes, everything. While Luka seemed reasonably happy, Miku could see that Rin looked strained, the smile too fake for her liking. Miku would definitely question Rin later.

Soon, they arrived at the cafeteria. Luka got a sushi roll, while Miku and Rin took sandwiches. They made their way to the courtyard, sitting under a large tree as they ate their lunch.

"Miku," Rin said quietly.

"Yeah?" Miku asked, taking a bite of her food.

"Miku…" Rin hesitated. "Do you feel as if… you have a true friend? Not just any friend, but a true friend, as if you were destined to be friends with him… or her?" Rin added quickly.

Miku chewed thoughtfully. Could this friend be the cause of Rin's mood swings?

"Maybe," Miku shrugged. "I mean, I have you, Luka, and pretty much everyone else. I'm very happy."

Miku glanced around quickly. Luka was chatting with Gumi, and everyone seemed to be occupied. Quickly, Miku leaned down. "Rin… this is going to sound so awkward, but… Rin, you just mentioned a friend. Is that friend the reason why you have mood swings? I mean, for one moment, you're so happy, and the next, you're so sad…"

Rin frowned, forming a tiny crease between her eyebrows. "I... I'm not sure. To be truthful, I'm not sure."

"It's all right," Miku threw her sandwich wrapper into a trash can before leaning down to Rin and giving her a quick hug. "It's all right, Rin. We're your friends. We can help you with anything!"

Rin laughed lightly as she hugged back, but Miku swore Rin whispered, "But for this, I don't know if you can."

 **~o*o~**

Rin felt like crying and hitting herself on the head at the same time. She didn't know why she asked Miku about Len. It was so stupid of her, but in a way, she did feel more comfortable. Maybe keeping that secret was really wearing her down.

Shaking her head, Rin ran to her dorm. School had ended, and everyone returned to their dorms to finish up their homework… but for Rin, it was time to visit Len again.

Rin fumbled with her keys, unlocking the door and bursting into her room, dropping her bag on the floor as she got to the mirror.

"Len?" Rin asked.

The mirror rippled, revealing Len's face. Immediately, Len broke into a smile.

"Rin!" Len said happily.

Rin scrambled onto the table, sitting back-to-back with Len. Rin almost expected the mirror to swallow her in, but it never did. It felt cold and hard.

Again, Rin recounted her day to Len, and Len continued to listen. Len was actually a really good listener, never interrupting, and making the right comments at the right times. Unfortunately, that day wasn't as exciting as the previous day, and in moments, Rin suddenly found herself groping for things to talk about.

"So…" Rin said, once she really couldn't think about anything else to say. "Did anything change in the forest?"

Len sighed. "No. I just pretty much slept the entire day away until you came."

"Oh." Rin sighed.

They sat there, enjoying each other's presence.

Then, Rin felt something. It was so strange, as if… as if there was something telling her to sing. Quietly, Rin hummed a few notes. She expected her voice to fade, but to her surprise, those simple few notes continued to go on and on. Behind her, Len was also singing, humming quietly with her.

Slowly, Rin added a few words to the simple song. "天井裏の 狭い小さな部屋…"

Almost hesitantly, Len continued. "そこには誰も 訪れたことはない…"

Rin blinked in surprise. "孤独な世界の真ん中で そっと…"

Rin could hear Len's smile as he sang. "幸せを夢見てる 儚い少女…"

Suddenly, there was a song. Rin wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly, they were just singing together. Their voices blended together perfectly, creating a clear melody, stirring through the room like a warm wind.

Slowly, the song ended. When it did, there was a silent sigh, as if the whole earth was mourning for the end of the song.

"Len…" Rin whispered, turning around. "That was amazing."

"I know," Len smiled shyly.

Rin held up a hand. Len followed suit, pressing their hands against the cold glass…

Rin gasped. The mirror was suddenly so soft, almost as if it were made of icy silk, and her fingers seemed to be slipping into the silvery metal…

Just as quickly as it began, it ended. The mirror solidified sharply, and Rin found herself pressing a hand desperately against a wall of cold, unforgiving glass.

"What just happened?" Len gasped. "Suddenly, it's like I'm…"

"Me too!" Rin said. "Is it because we sang? Maybe our singing is what caused the mirror to soften!"

Rin sang a few notes, but nothing happened. Frowning, Rin tapped impatiently against the glass, but the glass did not move.

Len sang a few lines as well, but similarly, nothing happened.

Then, they tried singing together.

The mirror suddenly softened again, the glass slipping between their fingers, but again, it solidified.

"We can break this curse!" Len said eagerly. "All we have to do is to sing!"

"Yes," Rin said, nodding happily. "We can practice, and I know it. We will be able to break this curse."

 **~o*o~**

From that moment on, life became a sort of schedule. Every morning, Rin would wake up early, and together, Rin and Len would sit back-to-back at the mirror, singing. Every night, Rin would finish her homework, and again, they would sing. Sometimes, they sang happy songs. Sometimes, they sang sad songs. They even tried singing those heavy American rock songs, but that didn't work too well.

Over time, the mirror softened more and more. Once, Rin managed to actually feel Len's hand.

But it was never enough.

 **Please Review!**


	5. The Mirror's Spirit

**The Mirror's Spirit**

Honestly, school has got to be one of the most annoying things known to humans. If there isn't any homework, there are quizzes; if no quizzes, there are tests coming up; if there's a lacking of tests, get ready for a project!

"And so, class," their music teacher was saying, "I will put you in pairs. The project is due next Monday, giving you plenty of time. Understood?"

There were mumbled agreements.

"Okay." The teacher walked through the classroom slowly, examining the rows of students. As she went, she paired two people together, usually somebody sitting close to them.

"Kagamine Rin…" the teacher pointed at Rin, looking around her. "You can pair up with Ms. Hatsune."

Rin felt a grin stretching across her lips. "Yes, ma'am!"

"What instrument should we do?" Miku asked.

Rin shrugged. "How about the violin or piano?"

"But those are very common, right? I bet most people would be doing stuff like that."

"True…"

"How about we do the… bassoon?"

"Bassoon?" Miku furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why the bassoon?"

Rin shrugged in reply. "Why not the bassoon? I doubt there'd be any person other than us who'd think of bassoon."

"Which does not help to prove your sanity at all…" Miku muttered.

"Shut up!"

The teal haired girl laughed at Rin's annoyed expression. "So… meet up after school, at your dorm?"

A grin broke out on Rin's face. "Sure! You know where my room is, right? I'll meet you there."

"Okay," Miku grinned back. "See you there then! Remember to prepare snacks!"

Rin just rolled her eyes.

 **~o*o~**

But for Rin, rushing home everyday afterschool and talking to Len had become part of her schedule. It became a routine, a habit.

So naturally, she forgot all about meeting with Miku.

The moment the bell rang, Rin was out the classroom, striding through the hallways to her locker. She quickly changed her shoes before running full speed back to her dorm room.

"Len?" she called and just like every afternoon before, the mirror rippled, the image changing into a blonde boy with blue eyes that looks just like Rin, grinning at her from the other side.

"How do you feel today?" Len asked.

"Awesome!" was Rin's reply.

Len laughed, a clear, wonderful sound that sounded so much like Rin's. "Well, that's not exactly a feeling, but so be it."

And then the song began.

At first, the song started off with a quick tempo, though the tune sounded slightly twisted and mutated. Their first song always reflected on Rin's mood through the day, and today wasn't any different.

"考え过ぎのメッセージ, 谁に届くかも知らないで…" Rin felt a crazy grin creep up her face. The song may be weird, but it was quick and definitely affected her current mood: crazy, excited, hyper… emotions she could never recall feeling before.

"きっと私はいつでもそう, 継ぎ接ぎ狂ったマトリョシカ…"

They continued to sing until the song ended by itself. Rin and Len had never written a song together before, but, as if their souls were connected, they could always create one on the spot together, a wonderful duet.

After the song finished, the two of them panted for a moment before sliding to the ground, their backs facing each other with only the mirror in between.

Then unconsciously, Rin's voice began to sing again. "愿い事、全て叶えましょう 镜の向こう、唱えてごらん？"

Len smiled, listening to her beautiful, clear voice, before joining.

 **~o*o~**

Miku was not happy. In fact, she was very disappointed. She had wanted to walk with Rin to her dorm after school, but somehow, magically, Rin had disappeared, not even telling her friends! Honestly, how fast could that girl move?

The teal-haired girl stomped towards the girl's dormitories, her expression a mixture between a pout and a scowl. Oh well, she could just go to Rin's room herself.

It was annoying how far into the maze-like dorm building Rin's room was, but Miku knew the building like the back of her hand. And so very soon, she was in the hallway of Rin's room.

But Miku froze before she could burst into Rin's room.

Vocaloid Academy was a music school, yes, and there were countless talented singers, but Miku had never heard a voice like Rin's: clear and sweet and cheerful, like how her personality was supposed to be like.

However, that wasn't all that made Miku freeze. Because singing with Rin was another voice, a voice Miku couldn't identify, couldn't attach a face to the voice. And the voice was one of a _boy_.

It was suspicious; very suspicious indeed. After all, if a boy was caught in the girl's dormitory, they will be punished very, very severely, not that Miku knew anything about their punishment.

Feeling like she was intruding, Miku inched open the door that Rin had forgotten to lock. She peeked through the small crack and saw Rin sitting on the ground, her back pressed against a mirror. She was still singing, her head thrown back and gazing at the ceiling as if she could see the sky.

Nobody else was in the room.

And yet the second voice continued to sing.

Miku stared, unable to tear her eyes away from this empty room. The two voices: the anonymous one and Rin's blended together, echoing in her ears.

And then the horror and shock caught up with her. The empty room, devoid of anybody but Rin. The two voices.

Miku spun around and ran, not bothering to shut the door.

Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow she will ask Rin about it.

 **~o*o~**

 _For hundreds of years she had slept, living over her tragedy over and over in her dreams. She remembered the Prince, handsome and charming. The kind-looking servant boy who had fallen head-over-heels for her. She remembered the lonely white-haired girl, her best friend._

 _But most vividly of all, she could remember the Queen. Rilliane, her name was. A young, inexperienced but cruel and selfish Queen._

 _The Queen who had fallen in love with the exact Prince she had. The Queen that had ordered her death._

 _And she remembered the young servant boy who looked so much like the Queen. He was her butler, her loyal lapdog._

 _He was the one that killed her._

 _And ever since she felt that knife sink into her chest, she had been dreaming, but at the same time, protecting, watching over the spirit of her killer. Watching him forget, watching him be weighed down by the pain and guilt._

 _But she never saw the Queen._

 _And then the boy disappeared. Gone from her watch._

 _Since then, she had just been asleep. Dreaming. Thinking._

 _Until she heard a voice. No, two voices. Two very familiar voices._

 _They sang a song of loneliness; a song of friendship and love and sadness. Of promises and farewells._

 _She heard it, and she stirred. She began to wake._

 _And then, she opened her eyes._

 **~o*o~**

As Rin sang, a bad feeling began to creep up her stomach.

First she got the sudden feeling that somebody was watching her. Then she felt nauseous, and the next moment, she knew something bad was going to happen. Something really bad.

Maybe an earthquake. Or a volcano eruption. Or terrorists coming and burning this school to the ground, killing everybody in it. Or there will be a World War III. Or…

 _"Who has awakened me?"_ an eerie voice echoed through the room, jerking Rin out of her mental rant. _"For centuries I have slept, and guarded, yet you has awakened me?"_

Rin spun around, and through the mirror, she could see that Len had done the same. They wore identical expressions of shock, and for good reason too: the mirror had spoken.

"What in the name of…" Rin whispered, scared to speak too loudly.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Len muttered, looking green. "A very, very bad feeling.

Rin couldn't help but agree.

And then once again, the mirror rippled, the images blurring. After a while, it calmed, as if nothing had happened. Rin could still see Len, though his sides were a little fuzzy.

Then in front of their very eyes, Rin and Len watched as a figure appear in the mirror. She was between them, existent only inside the mirror.

She was a beautiful girl, with long green hair tied into two ponytails and green eyes that should've been lively and bright, but instead was blank, emotionless.

 _"Was it you?"_ she asked. _"Was it you who awakened me?"_

Len opened his mouth slowly and asked real intelligently, "Who?"

The girl/spirit/whatever she is narrowed her eyes at him. _"You. Both of you."_

"Who are you?" asked Rin, trying to hide the shaking of her voice.

 _"I am Michaela,"_ she replied.

Len's eyes widened. Michaela… Why does that name sound so familiar?

Michaela turned her dull green eyes towards Len, and he felt a sudden stab in his heart. _"You. You escaped from me,"_ she said simply. _"I will not allow you to escape again."_

"I don't know what you're talking about," Len lied, his voice trembling. He knew, actually. Because though her voice was not the one that set him free, she smelled like his former prison: of roses and blood and tears.

Michaela narrowed her eyes at him. "You are lying."

"N-no, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. But it does not matter. Not to me." Michaela's lips twitched into a small, eerie smile and for the first time, Rin realized how much she looked like Miku, the same hairstyle, the same sweet beauty…. "Perhaps I should give you another chance. Perhaps I should forgive you."

"For what?" Rin demanded, sounding braver than she felt. "What did Len ever do to you?"

Michaela did not answer her question. "Yes, perhaps I should forgive you. And after I forgive you, you will be freed, won't you?"

At this, both Rin and Len froze. For Len to be freed…

"But of course," Michaela continued, yawning daintily, "it will not be that simple. If you convinced me, perhaps I will let you go."

Len felt his hear sinking. How do you convince a spirit?

But before any of them could say or ask anything, Michaela faded into the mirror once more, leaving Rin and Len staring at each other, wide-eyed.

"Convince her…" Rin whispered. She pressed her hand onto the smooth surface of the mirror and rested her head onto the cool surface as well as Len copied her position.

And once more, they began to sing.

 **Please Review!**


	6. To Break a Curse

**Hello, everyone. Here's the next update.**

 **Don't forget to review! Reviews make us very happy.**

 **To Break a Curse**

Rin peered at Miku curiously. "What are you talking about?"

For the hundredth time that minute, Miku wished she wasn't the interrogator.

During lunch that day, Miku had just gritted her teeth, braced herself, and openly asked Rin about the boy in the room, the singing, everything. Miku knew that Rin wouldn't give her a direct answer, so to accompany her latest observations, Miku also gave Rin a long speech about how it's all right to share it with friends, and how much happier it would make her feel. After ten whole minutes of persuading, Miku fully expected some decent answers, but to her surprise, Rin just tilted her head, frowned, and asked what in the world she was talking about.

"The boy in your room." Miku wanted to grab Rin and seriously start demanding answers. "Who's that boy? Is he the friend you were talking about the other day? Is he the reason why you have such weird mood swings?"

Rin shrugged and popped a bite of sushi into her mouth. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Yeah, I have friends: you, Luka, and everyone else. I have mood swings because I have lots of homework, and sleeping late at night makes me grumpy. And boys? Boys aren't even allowed in the Girls Dorms. Don't be ridiculous."

"But I heard you singing with a boy," Miku insisted. Why was Rin being so frustrating? Why couldn't she just give Miku a straightforward answer? Despite everything, Miku was also slightly hurt. Rin was supposed to be a close friend! Why wasn't she telling her anything?

"All right," Rin sighed, placing down her chopsticks. Miku's hopes lifted like a bird. Rin cleared her throat and said, "Miku, you're a really good friend, but you can be confusing sometimes, and today, you're being really confusing. I really don't know what you're talking about."

Miku felt like screaming.

 **~o*o~**

Fortunately, Miku was also persistent. If she had a question in class, she'd follow the teacher up and down until she got the answer. If she wanted to borrow a book from a friend, she'd tail that friend left and right until she got that book. If a friend was being frustratingly cryptic… Miku would get answers all by herself.

When the last bell rang, everyone dashed out of the classroom. Naturally, Rin was the fastest, leaving her seat even before the bell rang. Miku stuffed her papers and notebooks into her backpack and ran, dodging others as she followed Rin to the dorms, carefully and quietly. If Rin caught Miku, it would be all over.

Rin slipped into the room, closing the door behind her, but just before the door was fully closed, Miku stuck a pen onto the floor, jamming the door open just a crack. Rin wouldn't notice it, and the crack was pretty tiny, but it would be enough for Miku to overhear their conversations. Silently, Miku sat down, placed her bag down, pressed her ear to the door, and listened.

"Hey Len," Rin whispered.

"Rin!" the boy's voice said. Miku could evidently hear the grin in his voice, followed by the sound of delighted laughter.

"Let's not waste any time. Let's start!" Rin said eagerly.

There was a slight rustling noise. Then, they started to sing.

Miku couldn't believe it. It was incredible. How they managed to sing so well… it was a complete mystery. Sometimes, Rin sang alone, her voice sweet and mild. Sometimes, Len sang alone, his voice a perfect counterpart of Rin's. When they sang together, their voices blended together perfectly, highlighting the notes and… it was indescribably incredible.

Slowly, their song ended. There was a brief moment of silence.

Suddenly, Rin wailed. "Why? We were so close! Why can't we just do it?"

"I don't know." Len answered. His voice was sad and drained.

"We've been practicing so much already!" Rin fumed. After that, Miku heard the sound of a long inhale. "Let's start again." Rin said, her voice much more controlled.

"Sure," Len said.

Again, they started to sing.

"一つの情愛がもたらした悲劇―," Rin started.

Len followed. "大切なものを壊した過去―."

There as a short moment when the notes just hung in the air.

Then… Miku didn't know how to describe the situation. There was a warmth spreading through her, starting from her chest and reaching down to her toes. Slowly, Miku opened her mouth, and started to sing. "残ったのは傷付いた体と、壊れた心…"

Miku clapped a hand over her mouth. Did Rin and Len realize that she was eavesdropping on them? Miku paused, bracing herself to run, but the room was silent. They didn't seem to notice her at all.

The silence was broken by Rin and Len, who had started singing again. Miku knew that she should either run or wait silently, but… somehow, she found herself singing again. She just couldn't help it. She just had to do it.

The song increased in tempo. Suddenly, the three voices molded together into a beautiful harmony, even more beautiful than before. Their voices were sometimes like the softest silk, other times like the waves that smashed against the rocks.

Then, there was the pain. Miku didn't know if Rin or Len felt it or not, but the pain… it was as if someone was stitching something onto Miku's chest, as if some lost part of her was finally reuniting with the rest of her. Miku's eyes burned, and she continued to sing. She couldn't stop singing. Tears trickled down Miku's face, a single drop landing on the floor…

There was a loud crack, like the sound of a gunshot. Rin and Len yelped, the song ending abruptly. Following the crack, there was the sound of splintering glass, then the sound of glassy shards clinking on the floor…

"Len!" Rin gasped.

Miku lurched forward, catching a glimpse of Rin hugging a blond boy with a short ponytail. Both of them were standing in the center of an island of broken glass, their arms and legs covered in scratches, but they were laughing and crying at the same time.

Miku managed to smile before she collapsed into darkness.

 **~o*o~**

Hazily, the world came into view. Miku cracked open an eye. There was a slight, throbbing pain on her chest.

Carefully, Miku propped herself onto her elbows and looked around. She was in her room, her backpack on the desk, a pile of books on the floor. Her window was thrown wide open, allowing streams of sunlight to illuminate her room.

Suddenly, Miku's eyes flew wide open with surprise. She had sung with Rin and Len, only yesterday, and she had blacked out and… Miku groaned. She was still so confused about everything. Was Len the secret Rin was keeping?

A thousand thoughts whirled around Miku's head. Only yesterday (Miku checked the date to be sure), she had allowed Rin and Len to be reunited or something. She had felt a strange pain before blacking out, and somehow appearing back in her room.

Miku sighed, showering and changing quickly. She packed her bag, and made her way out to breakfast.

Whatever it is, Rin better have some answers ready. If she didn't… Let's just assume that Miku wouldn't be too happy about it.


	7. Sister and Lover

**And here's another update. Wish you enjoy it and remember to review!**

 **Sister and Lover**

Honestly, Rin had no idea what happened. One moment she was singing with Len, the surface of the mirror melting beneath their hands, and the next second, there was an ear-splitting crack and the mirror broke, showering both of them with shards of glass. Len tumbled from the mirror, behind him the forest vanishing to reveal the wooden backside of the mirror.

If the situation wasn't as sudden and shocking, Rin would've said something along the lines of, "So he _wasn't_ trapped in a forest! He was trapped in a wooden board!"

Luckily (or unluckily, for those with weak hearts), everything had happened so quickly all Rin was able to do was cry tears of happiness as Len stumbled into her arms, knocking her off her feet.

Len was crying as well, but it wasn't out of pure happiness. Sure, he was happy, but there was this throbbing ache in his chest, and when he looked back to see to broken mirror, he saw with amazement a little wisp of green drifting from it. It was like a ghost, or a mist with a mind, as it casually drifted out the window and away into the distance. He could hear a clear, beautiful laughter, and tears sprung to his eyes.

 _Michaela…_

But he was no longer alone. For before him, clinging onto him desperately was Kagamine Rin. She looked up at him with her clear blue eyes filled with joy, and then stood up, pulling him up with her, and wiped her tears.

A smile broke out on her petite face as she held out a hand and said, "Hello, I am Kagamine Rin."

Len smiled as well and shook her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rin. I am Kagamine Len, your twin brother."

And it was at that moment that the Kagamine twins were the happiest, for after many centuries of war and heartbreak and pain, they are together once more.

 **~o*o~**

In the end, Miku didn't question Rin. She couldn't bring herself to, not when Rin was so happy: her smile never faltering, her blue eyes brighter than the sky.

A few days after Miku had passed out in front of Rin's door and woke up in her own bed, feeling as if there was something addition in her heart, a Kagamine Len had enrolled into Vocaloid Academy, claiming to be Rin's younger twin brother. Then, after many debates, arguing, threats, fits being thrown, and a lot, a lot of chaos, Rin and Len managed to convince the school authorities to let them share a room.

So Rin had to move out of her room, because in the end, boys still aren't allowed in the girls' dormitory, and the twins were handed a tiny apartment in the small community inside the Vocaloid Campus.

But at least they got a happy ending.

For Miku… not so much. Her ribs ached days afterwards, and it was all very annoying. School was also annoying, with midterms coming up, and all those big and small problems. And her ribs hurt and-

Okay, maybe she's avoiding the truth. No she isn't. Why would she? But there is something more to her problems… right? No, there isn't. There can't be. All there is to her problems in life is school, sudden appearances of boys that supposedly got spat out from a mirror, and another certain person named-

"Miku?"

Miku blinked, turning her blue eyes to Luka, who was looking at her concernedly. Miku forced a smile onto her face. "Yes?"

"I asked you a question," Luka said, still looking worried. "But never mind that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Miku forced the smile to stretch slightly wider. "Of course. Why shouldn't I be?"

"You're acting strange; looking all dazed and well… love-struck, I guess you can say. There are no other words to describe your expression."

"No worries. Just slightly… worried about the midterms, that's all. The teachers did say it was hard…" Miku forced a laugh that sounded strange and unnatural in her own ears.

And it was at that moment did she pass _him_. It was just a simple brush past of shoulders, but a tremor trailed through her, leaving her trembling and breathless. It took her conscious effort to not look back.

Behind her, he laughed, and another laugh joined his - one of a woman's.

Miku felt her heart seize and she continued to stride forward with Luka.

"Are you sure you're okay, Miku? You look pale."

"I'm fine. No worries. A little dizzy, that's all. Losing sleep. Too much homework…"

Luka didn't look convinced, but to Miku's relief, stopped pushing of the matter.

It was at that moment, did she look back to see the two faraway silhouettes, and once again, her heart seized. This time not with jealousy, but with longing.

 **~o*o~**

Miku hated the feeling, so she decided to tell somebody who might understand. Somebody who never judges. Well, maybe they do, but they're somewhat more sympathetic than others.

"I understand, Miku," said Rin sympathetically. "Of course it's painful for you."

Miku nodded sadly from where she perched on the edge of Rin's bed.

"No wonder you were acting so strange these past few days," Len said, sprawled on his own bed at the other side of the room. "And here we were, thinking it was the time of the month."

Miku turned her red, but her face quickly drained once more when she thought of _him_ : his handsome face, clear laugh, strong voice, and laid back attitude. But there was _her_. Her, who was kind and caring and motherly and laid back, just like _him_. Miku wanted to hate her, but she couldn't make herself do it; nobody could hate her, no matter how annoying she could be.

"You know what you can do?" Rin spoke up. "You can go talk to him. Maybe he'll understand."

"What now?" Miku frowned.

"To put it simply," Len replied, using wild hand gestures, "you go and pour out your heart."

"To put it even more simply," Rin added, "you go and confess to him."

"And to make that even simpler," said Len, "you go and tell him that you like him. Then-"

"-it's possible-"

"-he likes you too!" The twins finished together. Miku hated it when they did it, because it gets kind of confusing at times, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

"But what if he don't?" protested the teal-colored girl. She buried her face in her hands. "I mean, there's _her_ …"

"Who cares about her?" Rin scowled.

"Yeah!" Len agreed. "I mean, we all love her because she's nice but kind of scary, but don't let her get in the way!"

"But- but-,"

Len shot up from his bed, glaring at Miku. "Can you please stop acting all shy and nervous and sad? That's-"

"-my brother's job!" finished Rin, and ignoring Len's protests, pushed Miku towards the door. "Go girl! You can do it!"

With a hesitant smile on her face and a refound confidence, Miku strode out the small apartment to search for _him_.

 **~o*o~**

Miku found him sitting by the fountain, looking up at the sky lazily, like a cat resting in the shade. He was alone, which Miku was glad about.

"Hey," he said without looking at her, still staring at the sky.

"Hi." Miku sat down next to him. "What are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing much. See that cloud over there? It looks like a pig." He pointed at a strangely shaped cloud that looked nothing like a pig. Miku chuckled nevertheless.

"Do you often do this? Like, just search for shapes in the clouds?" Miku felt like this conversation was getting nowhere, and she was getting agitated.

"No. I'm waiting for someone, that's all."

"Oh?" Miku's interest perked. "Who is it?"

"Kaito!" a voice suddenly called. A familiar voice, and looking around, Miku saw that it was _her_.

Kaito tore his eyes away from the clouds and smiled at her. "Hey Meiko."

Meiko stopped before Kaito and Miku. "Oh, hey Miku."

"Hi…" Miku replied quietly.

"Yeah, sorry Miku. Gotta go." Kaito picked up his bag from the ground and slung it over a shoulder. "Enjoy the rest of this beautiful Friday!"

And then the two of them left, leaving Miku still waving slightly, a small, fake smile plastered onto her face. Her heart seized painfully once more as she realized, Kaito thinks her as a sister, not a lover.

And with Meiko there, she will forever remain a sister.

 **What did you think Miku fell in love with? I (theKeeperofMemories) am personally a bigger fan of MikuxKaito than MikuxLen, so that's that. Please review!**


	8. A Kiss Changes Everything

**Hello everyone. Here's the next update of this story.**

 **Rikasa: Well, that's good. :) I (theKeeperofMemories) supports both too, so chill. I'm not sure about chocolatebackground though. I'm okay with RinxLen but yes, Lenku... *shudder. No offense to the MikuxLen supporters though. Thanks for your review!**

 **Kagamination: Oh... I didn't know that... Don't worry, I already saw those two... I think. I remember 'Daughter of White' but not too sure about the second one. Sorry for crushing your wish of RinxLen but well, our story isn't really revolved around romance... Okay, it kind of is, now that I thought about it. Friendship and Romance. But there's no _serious_ romance in here. Just crushes, and megacrushes, and going head-over heels for somebody... :)**

 **Please review!**

 **A Kiss Changes Everything**

Miku's hands fumbled around her backpack as she stuffed her notes inside, the paper crumpling. The halls were empty as she hurried away from her locker, a massive stack of textbooks in her arms.

She was so stupid! She had a question, and the teacher didn't have time to answer it in class, so she went to ask after class. Unfortunately, the teacher took a ridiculously long time answering, leaving her only less than one minute to drop off her notes in her locker, grab her textbooks, and rush to the next class. She should have asked the teacher after school!

Miku hurried. There was a strict rule of not running in the hallway, and Miku tried to follow that rule, shuffling as fast as she could. Everyone would be taking a seat now and waiting for the bell to ring. The teacher would be doing a roll call, and Miku really didn't want to be counted tardy…

The bell rang, clanging loudly.

Miku panicked. Screw that no-running-in-the-hallway rule. Miku took off like a bullet, her feet pounding on the cold tile floor, her backpack thumping on her back. She had to hurry. Maybe if she could beat the bell, she could…

Miku slipped. Her ankle sprained painfully underneath her, and she fell. Her books tumbled down, spilling across the hall, loose pages fluttering away. A sharp lance of pain shot through her hands as she used them to stop her from doing a face plant on the floor.

Moaning, Miku got to her knees, surveying the damage. The books were evidently scuffed, and the notes she had placed inside were all fluttering away.

"Miku?"

Miku turned around, expecting to see a teacher, but it was so much worse.

It was Meiko.

Meiko, wearing a simple red top and skirt walked over, her brown hair bobbing neatly around her face. She glanced at Miku, then at the books all over the hall, and then back at Miku, who winced.

Meiko laughed, but not unkindly as she held out a hand to Miku. Swallowing her pride, Miku took the hand, and Meiko helped her get to her feet.

"You might need some help with this," Meiko observed.

"Yeah," Miku said warily.

Meiko smiled as she bent down, picking up some books. Miku also started to gather her notes, and stuffing them into her backpack. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Someone was helping her, which was great, but why must that person be, of all people, Meiko? Why couldn't it have been Luka, Rin, Len, or heck, even that creepy little girl, Mayu?

In moments, they were done, all of the books back into Miku's arms, safe and sound.

"Thank you," Miku said gratefully, and surprised herself when she realized that her words sounded genuine.

"No problem," Meiko said warmly. "Just be more careful next time!"

Miku waved a quick good-bye and made her way down to her next class. All the while, Miku felt like screaming. Why must Meiko be so kind? Why must she be so helpful? Miku wanted to hate Meiko, but somehow, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't just hate her.

 **~o*o~**

After school, Miku's conflicted emotions, very so unfortunately, did not resolve themselves. Throughout the day, she was in a daze, working mechanically, talking mechanically, and even reacting mechanically to her friends. Rin, Len, and Luka constantly asked her what was wrong, but she responded mechanically that she was all right, just a little tired, and that was it.

Sighing, Miku trudged back to the dorms. Rin and Len had scampered away to work on a project, and Luka was off to grab a snack. Around her, the world seemed to be bracing itself for warmer months, the tender green leaves darkening, and the sunlight harsher than before. Damp leaves squished underneath her feet.

Suddenly, Miku paused. Kaito lived less a block away. In fact, he was in the school campus right now, since, unlike Meiko, he did not move out of the school dormitories, choosing to buy the school apartments instead. It was desperate thinking but… maybe Miku could pay him a visit. Maybe the previous incident was just an accident. Maybe he did like her, not as a sister, but maybe…

Miku shrugged aside the doubts and started walking towards Kaito's home.

 **~o*o~**

Kaito lived on the first floor of the apartment building near the twins'. Miku went over and stared at the Cherrywood door. Swallowing a lump of nervousness, Miku knocked, stepped back, and waited.

No one responded.

Frowning, Miku knocked again.

No one responded either.

Miku scowled. Maybe Kaito probably wasn't home. There was no use waiting for him. If anyone saw her waiting at Kaito's door, it would have been mortifying. They might think that she was a desperate, lovesick fool.

Miku left the building. Just as she was ready to head back to the Girl's Dorms, she hesitated again. What if Kaito just didn't hear her knocks? Maybe he was in the showers.

Unconsciously, Miku found herself walking around the building, where the windows were. She would be able to easily take a quick look. If Kaito wasn't there, she'd probably get back to her room. If Kaito was there…

Miku trotted over, her long teal pigtails bouncing as she arrived, standing on her toes to peek through the window.

Immediately, Miku regretted it. She should never have even bothered to come, much less look through the window.

Inside was something that shattered her heart so loudly she could literally hear it.

Kaito was there, but so was Meiko. Both of them were seated on the small couch, wrapped in each other's arms, kissing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the kisses weren't fake, but truly and honestly genuine.

Face burning, Miku stumbled back. She wanted to curl up in a ball and hide. She wished she had not seen this at all.

Suddenly, a branch snapped under her feet, startlingly loud. Miku gasped, and held her breath. Inside the room, Kaito and Meiko broke apart immediately, their faces pale and eyes wide with panic.

"Who is it?" Kaito called, standing up. Meiko sat on the couch, her face white with shock.

Miku opened her mouth. Usually, she'd be able to find some witty remark, but this time, her mouth was completely dry. She couldn't say a word.

Kaito opened the window and peered around. Seeing Miku standing there, he jumped slightly in surprise.

"Miku!" Kaito said, relief in his voice. He was probably glad that it wasn't a teacher. After all, what harm could a silly little girl like Miku really do?

"Hey, Kaito," Miku said weakly.

Kaito smiled, but the smile was definitely strained. He seemed as if he wanted to chase Miku away, but courtesy prevented him from doing that.

"Um… I'll leave now." Miku stuttered, and ran. Her feet pounded on the soft leaves and cobbles as she ran without stopping back to her dorm room. Her face was boiling. She wasn't wearing much. She only wore a simple blouse and skirt, but suddenly, she felt hot, too hot. She was burning with embarrassment. Whatever hope she had left… it was all gone now. She was not just a sister, but a snooping, annoying, awkward sister.

Miku flopped down on her bed. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

Just at the moment, Miku heard Rin call, "Miku? You in there?" followed by a barrage of knocks on her door.

"Coming!" Miku called, opening the door and revealing Rin and Len standing there.

Rin walked in boldly, placed her hands on her hips, and said, "Miku, you helped me when I was in trouble, when my spirits were down. Now, you're in trouble, and it's our turn to help you. So, can you please tell me what in the world is wrong with you?"

Miku gave a weak laugh, and this time, she didn't hesitate to tell Rin and Len.

When Miku was done, the ever so identical twins grinned in unison, looking quite maniacal. "Oh, Miku dear, please do not worry. We have the best idea ever."


	9. Faraway Love

**Faraway Love**

"Miku darling, you look amazing!" trilled Rin. Miku blushed and looked down at the dress she donned, a blue and gray, knee-length dress that accented her eyes. A silvery gray belt was tied around her slender waist, a large blue-green flower on one side. It hung from one shoulder, flowering out at the end, ruffling around her knees. Add that to a pair of simple blue-green flats and some silver jewelry, and 'she could pass as a princess', according to Rin.

"Len," Rin shook her younger twin brother, "Don't you think she look absolutely stunning?"

"Huh?" Len looked up from his textbook where he was studying for the history test on Friday, two days from now. "Yeah. Awesome."

"You didn't even look!"

"Yes, I did."

Annoyed, Rin snatched the book out of Len's hands. "Stop being a nerd! Now we have to find ourselves something to wear for the party…"

Yes, she said party.

The 'best idea ever' was apparently a large scale party where more than 40 people were invited. The twins' plan was to drive all the extra guests out somehow to leave only Miku and Kaito. Meiko was no exception, and was cheerfully invited as well, mainly to avoid suspicion.

They called it Plan 'MKFiLwMIoM'. Short for 'Make Kaito Fall in Love with Miku Instead of Meiko'.

Of all 47 people they had invited, already 13 had said they couldn't come, narrowing it down to 34. Then with careful planning and perfect accuracy, they forced another 6 out, giving them an acceptable number of 28, including all the major candidates: the twins, Miku, and Kaito.

Rin smiled and pulled out her phone as she walked down the racks of clothes, preparing to call the Akita's.

"Hello?" came Neru's bored voice. "Akita speaking."

"Hey Neru, it's Rin. Sorry, but we had to cancel the party. Emergency. But don't worry, there'll be a next time."

"Oh, bummer. I already have my dress picked out. Oh well, its fine. See you then."

"See you."

Rin hang off, smiling as she heard Neru tell Nero about the party being cancelled.

2 down. 22 more to go.

 **~o*o~**

The party came far too quickly for Miku's liking. She'd like to have maybe a little more mental preparation, especially when she walked into the large, rented room with KTV and what-not, and found only about 14 people present.

What in heaven's name did Rin and Len do the past two days to get rid of so many people?

All the top 8 elites were there, excluding Meiko, who said that she may or may not come: she wasn't sure yet. She didn't show up, so that's quite possibly a 'no'.

Everybody looked quite happy, and Miku spotted Kaito to her right, laughing with Gakupo. He noticed her the moment she stepped in, and came towards her. Miku immediately felt her heart rate speeding up.

"Hey," Kaito greeted casually. "You look nice."

"Hi!" Miku replied, her voice sounding too squeaky for her own liking. "You look very nice too!" and it was true: he did. Kaito wore a dark blue tuxedo and dress pants that matched his hair and eye colors. He looked mysterious, dark… and rather charming, like a prince.

Miku really wishes that she's not blushing.

"Miku!" came another familiar voice. Rin and Len strolled towards them, wearing a matching yellow dress and suit. "Glad for you to join us. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess." Miku shrugged slightly.

"The food's o'er there," Kaito pointed at the other side of the room. "Let's go."

Blushing lightly, Miku nodded and followed him, not missing the wink that Rin sent her as she passed the blonde girl.

Miku vaguely wondered how much money the twins had to spend for such a party and where they got it as she helped herself to the variety of goods laid out on the table. Kaito chatted away next to her, but Miku was unable to take in any of it. She was too busy discreetly stealing glances of his handsome face.

"Miku?"

Miku blinked, turning her gaze to Kaito. "Yes?"

"You're acting all weird." Kaito seemed so concerned. "You look all dazed and everything. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Miku nodded a bit too eagerly. "Yes, I'm all right. No worries."

Kaito didn't look convinced, but Miku quickly changed the topic by asking, "Do you know why Meiko couldn't come?"

She regretted the question the moment it came out her mouth. _Great job, Miku_ , she thought to herself. _Bringing up the exact person you wish he wouldn't think about. How considerate and smart you are._

Before Kaito could answer though, a shriek pierced through the air, grasping the attentions of everybody in the room. Apparently Rin had 'tripped' and spilled punch all over Luka. Some of it also splattered onto Gakupo, who had been conversing with her.

"Oh my God, Luka!" Rin looked on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry! So, so sorry! If you want I could-,"

"No, it's fine." Luka waved it away. "It's getting late anyway. Would you mind if I just leave?"

"I could escort you home." Gakupo held out a hand, smirking.

Luka smirked right back. "My pleasure, good sir."

And the two of them were out the door with a flurry of acting and court speaks.

There were even less people in the party now. Miku and Kaito watched as a few more people trickled out the door.

"This is feeling less and less like a party," Kaito commented. "It's rather… chilling."

"Yeah," Miku agreed. There were basically only Kaito, her, the Kagamine twins, Gumi, three other people: 8 in all, scattered through the large room.

Two more people walked out, laughing and obviously drunk.

6, then, if you insist.

"Gumi!" Rin called cheerfully, "I just remembered. Can you help us with this homework thing that we couldn't figure out? Please?"

Gumi, being the nice person she was, agreed, and the trio strolled out, chatting about homework.

 _'Traitors,'_ Miku glared at the backs of Rin and Len.

"Why do you look like you hate Rin and Len?" Kaito asked her confusedly, noticing her glare.

"Huh?" Miku broke her glare. "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at all."

Kaito frowned, not looking convinced.

The last person other than Miku and Kaito looked around, somewhat dejected, and walked out as well.

"Well," said Kaito awkwardly after a long stretch of even more awkward silence. "Seems like it's just the two of us."

Miku nodded numbly.

"This is weird," Kaito mumbled. "And awkward. Maybe we should-,"

"Wait," Miku interrupted. The twins had done all this for her. She wouldn't let this chance go to waste. "Kaito, I need to tell you something."

Kaito blinked and nodded. "Sure, I'm listening."

Heart thumping against her ribcage, Miku forced her mouth open and pushed the words out of her lungs. "We've known each other for a really long time."

Kaito nodded, mildly confused. He obviously had no idea where this conversation was going.

"You've been like a big brother to me: you're nice, funny, caring…" Miku took a deep breath. Suddenly, her mind went blank. She couldn't decide what to say, couldn't continue. Even so, she forced herself to continue speaking, because she didn't want to leave Kaito hanging for too long. Also, the awkwardness and silence was becoming unbearable. "Um… I'm sorry for that day when I looked into your window-,"

"Is this about Meiko?" Kaito spoke up. "Because I swear, that wasn't her, it was me. I made the first move."

 _I made the first move._

The words echoed through Miku's mind, momentarily paralyzing her.

 _I made the first move._

There was a pang of sadness and longing and jealousy in Miku's heart.

 _I made the first move._

"Anyways," Kaito waved it away like it's no big deal. _As if._ "You were saying?"

She shook her head. "Never mind." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Kaito looked extremely confused for a moment before shrugging it off. "Well then, should we-,"

The door suddenly slammed open, revealing Meiko in casual clothes, panting like she had run all the way here. When she looked up, surprise and confusion clouded her pretty features. "Are you two the only people in this party?"

"Erm…" Miku spoke uncertainly, "We weren't, but they all left."

"Seriously?" Meiko raised an eyebrow. "Must've been a real boring party."

The awkward pair, still holding cups of punch, nodded in unison.

"Well," Meiko stretched. "No point in staying then. Let's go. Want to come to my apartment? We could drink-,"

At that word, Miku paled. "I'll pass," she said quickly, putting down her cup of dark purple beverage.

"Okay then," the older woman shrugged. "We'll drop you off at the Academy."

Miku nodded her thanks, and the last three participants of the party left the room as well.

 **~o*o~**

"WHAT?!" Rin and Len exclaimed. "You didn't tell him?!"

Miku shook her head deploringly. "I didn't have the chance to. I wanted to, I tried-I really did!-but Meiko showed up suddenly. I think the Fates hate me."

The twins sighed, leaning against each other tiredly. "We agree with you…"

Miku couldn't help but groan and fall down onto their bed as well. The three of them sighed in unison. This was going nowhere. What could they do now that Plan MKFiLwMIoM had failed?

 **Please Review! It makes us happy! :)**


	10. Different Opinions

**Here's the new update. Don't forget to review! Reviews make us very happy. XD**

 **Vocaloid Academy**

 **Different Opinions**

Neru stared tiredly at Nero's books scattered all over their apartment room. Honestly, she really did love Nero. He is the best brother - or at least a really good one, but sometimes, his way of 'tidying' a room really contrasted with hers. For her, tidying a room included scrubbing it from top to bottom, but for Nero, it meant stacking everything that could be stacked into piles.

Neru groaned, and started to pick up the books stacked on the floors, tucking them into the shelf. Behind her, she heard a click as the doorknob turned, revealing Nero as he walked in.

"Nero, come on! Why can't you clean a blasted room?" Neru grumbled.

Nero flopped down on his bed, shrugging. "Oh well, I think it's clean enough."

Sighing, Neru continued to clean the room.

"Oh yeah, have you heard about that new kid, Len?" Nero asked.

"Yes," Neru answered. "He's really nice."

Nero snorted. "Yeah, sure, he's nice. Though honestly, he's kind of weird."

"Weird?" Neru frowned.

"Yes," Nero said, warming up to the topic. "I mean, one random day, he just appears with Rin, and suddenly, he's part of the popular group. I mean, I don't get it! What did he do to Rin to make her grow so close to him? I know they're siblings, but the others warmed up on him way to fast."

"He's nice." Neru repeated, defensive. Immediately, she felt her face grow warm. "There's nothing wrong with a nice person."

"That's his problem!" Nero exclaimed. "Don't you think it's a little creepy? He's like this weird robot twin of Rin that… he's just so stupid and weird!"

"Shut up!" Neru's voice rose suddenly. Nero's jaw dropped. Neru caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and had to admit that she did look scary. Her face was crimson, her hair sticking to her neck, and… she just looked wild. "Just shut up!"

There was a brief moment of stunned silence.

"Neru?" Nero asked hesitantly.

"What?" Neru snapped.

"Do you have a freaking crush on Len?" Nero asked even more hesitantly.

Neru felt herself paling.

"My goodness sake." Nero breathed. "You have a freaking crush on that stupid freak Kagamine Len!"

"So what if I do?" Neru demanded.

"Oh my…." Nero swore. "Neru, you are such an idiot! How could you even consider liking that horrible excuse of a boy! I mean…"

"Nero," Neru growled. "You are a-" _*Content has been deleted in an attempt to keep this story PG13*_

With that, Neru whirled around and stormed out of the room.

 **~o*o~**

There was a knock on Haku's door. Haku got to her feet and opened it, revealing Neru.

Neru looked awful. Her face was flushed, her eyes red and puffy, and it was evident that she had been crying.

"Neru, are you all right?" Haku asked, concerned.

Neru nodded stiffly and walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed. Haku took a seat next to her, asking, "What's wrong?"

Neru scowled. "Nero."

"Oh," Haku said weakly. "Another argument?"

Neru nodded again.

Haku sighed. Those two were so strange. One day, you would see them walking happily down the road, or see them sharing their lunches, chatting like the best of all best friends. Two minutes later, you'd see them screaming at each other or wrestling on the bare concrete floor, tearing and screeching.

"Can I spend the night here?" Neru asked.

"Sure!" Haku said immediately.

Neru smiled and hugged Haku. Haku hoped she could help her somehow.

 **~o*o~**

The next morning, Haku woke up extra early. She typed a quick text message before showering and changing into a light silver top and comfortable black trousers. Once she was done, she heard a light knock on the door, and she scrambled to her feet, grinning. IA and Gumi were always punctual, especially when a friend was in trouble.

Haku welcomed them into the room, shushing them gently and leading them to the bathroom, closing the door tightly to make sure that they weren't overheard. Neru was still passed out on the bed, huddled under a mound of blankets.

"What's wrong?" Gumi asked, taking a seat on the tiled floor.

Quietly, Haku quickly filled them out on the current complications. Gumi and IA listened intently. Once Haku was done explaining, they all wore frowns, and they concluded that there was something definitely wrong. A simple sibling argument shouldn't blossom into such a mess. A simple sibling argument wouldn't cause Neru to spend the night.

"What should we do? We're her friends. We can't just sit here and do nothing." IA said, frustrated.

"We should probably just talk to her." Gumi suggested. "After all, once you get someone talking, they'll talk about their troubles sooner or later, right?"

Wrong move, Gumi. Wrong move.

Right at the moment, there was a knock on the bathroom door, followed by a sleepy voice calling, "Haku, you in there?"

"Yep!" Haku said, unlocking the door.

Neru walked in, puzzled. Her hair was scruffy and her pajamas were rumpled. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well…" IA stuttered.

"You've been acting weird lately. We're your friends! What's wrong?" Haku blurted.

It was like a switch. Immediately, Neru's face turned dark and stormy. Every trace of sleep vanished from her face as she scowled furiously at them. "What are you guys doing? Mind your own business! My business isn't yours so stay out of it!"

With that, Neru stormed out of the bathroom. They heard the dorm room door slam, rattling them to their bones.

"Not good," IA said meekly.

Haku could definitely agree.


	11. Anonymous Conflicts

**Hello everybody. Sorry, another short chapter, and this time, much crappier than the last one. Try your best to enjoy it anyway, and review please! :)**

 **Anonymous Conflicts**

"She's not here!" IA called.

"Nor here!" Gumi answered.

"Not here either!" Haku replied.

The trio of friends sighed in unison and slumped down against a large oak tree. They've been searching all day long whenever they had time. Neru hadn't come to school, and she wasn't in her apartment. The café was empty of a certain Neru, just like everywhere else that they had searched, and mind you, they've searched _everywhere_.

"I'm hungry," IA sighed.

"Me too," Gumi added.

"I am too," Haku admitted, "but we have to find Neru. I have a bad feeling about this."

Gumi nodded in agreement. "Something had gone horribly wrong. Usually Neru and Nero would've made up by now. The argument has to be really, _really_ bad for them to still hate each other.

"Maybe they did make up," IA suggested, "but we were looking for them, and they were looking for us, so maybe we kept avoiding each other unconsciously. The Academy grounds are quite big."

"But they would've gone to class, wouldn't they?" Gumi frowned.

"Well…" Haku wondered, "What IA said might be possible. After all, we only went to the first class. It's almost lunchtime, so we've missed quite a lot of classes. She might've come after first period."

"Possible," Gumi began to agree.

"But still…" IA sighed, then began in a whiny voice, "can't we first eat lunch? We've been searching all day! I'm tired and hungry and thirsty and my feet hurts and my spine aches and-,"

"Okay, okay," Haku finally relented. "Let's go eat, and then we'll continue to search during the _real_ lunch break."

Cheering, IA and Gumi led the way to their dorms to pick up their lunchboxes.

 **~o*o~**

As they looked for a nice place to relax and eat their beloved lunches, a disagreement broke out.

"I say we eat by the lake," IA suggested.

"No," Gumi disagreed. "Perhaps one of the nice big oaks around the campus."

"I think," Haku decided to assert her own suggestions, "that we should find a nice, beautiful clearing in the forest and picnic out there."

"Well, how about the roof?"

"We could go back to the dorms."

"The lounge room is nice too."

The three of them began throwing out suggestions of where they should eat, each one gradually becoming more and more insane.

Finally, IA threw her hands up in frustration. "UGH! How about this: We get a helicopter and settle down on a drifting cloud and have lunch _there_?!"

Gumi opened her mouth to retaliate when a loud groan cut her off.

"Oh my God…" the anonymous voice groaned, "you guys are so… fucking… noisy…" A loud yawn followed the complaint, and the person continued to say, "Shut the fuck up."

Gumi, IA, and Haku had never been so happy to hear somebody tell them to shut up. "Nero!"

They rushed up to him with face-splitting grins. "Hey, Nero!" Then their smiles faded slightly. "Where's Neru?"

"Do you know?" added Haku hopefully.

"My sister?" Nero cracked open a golden eye. "How should I know. I mind my own business."

"Then… do you know why she's in such a bad mood?" Haku tried again.

"She's in a bad mood?" Nero raised an eyebrow.

The trio nodded simultaneously. Didn't Nero know about it? After all, he did start it... right?

The younger Akita snorted disdainfully. "Serves her right. That idiot, stupidest person I've ever met, honestly. She's my older sister and was supposed to get better grades than me, but apparently, being too smart gave her horrible common sense and opinions. I mean, seriously? Falling in love with such a horrible, freakish…" Nero ranted on.

Haku, Gumi, and IA exchanged surprised looks. Were the argument about her crush? Speaking of which, who _was_ her crush. None of them knew.

"I can't believe I have such a stupid person for a sister," Nero continued to rant, weaving in cuss words which we have graciously decided to remove. "That, stupid, stubborn, annoying, sarcastic, OCD, senseless, ridiculous…" he continued on, and on, and on. It was surprising how much vocabulary he knew, considering his near-failing grades.

He never noticed that IA, Gumi, and Haku had already disappeared from his side.

 **~o*o~**

"Neru's crush?" Haku shook her head. "Knowing Neru, she wouldn't have a crush until she's 30 or thereabouts."

"I think you're exaggerating," IA declared. "Everybody should have a crush around this age. It's a sign of adolescence, an expected occurrence during teenage years, especially during puberty, so I knew Neru would have a crush, sooner or later. If she didn't, that means she's not normal."

"When had Neru ever seemed relatively normal?" Haku muttered.

"Good point," IA agreed with the fellow silver haired girl.

Gumi remained silent; rather rare, I know.

Haku and IA decided to follow her example and recede into silence as they chewed thoughtfully on their homemade lunches. What could get Neru to be in such a terrible mood?


	12. Trespassing Secrets

**Here's the next chapter for Vocaloid Academy. Hope you guys like it, and please drop a review! There's been a noticeable lack of reviews lately, and we're getting a little worried. XD**

 **Vocaloid Academy**

 **Trespassing Secrets**

"All right," Haku announced, finishing off her lunch and tossing the wrappers into a trashcan. "I'm tired of just sitting here and waiting. We have to go look for Neru. Where would she be?"

IA glanced at Haku. "Neru could be anywhere. The parks, her dorm, the classes, the library…"

"Yes, we know," Haku agreed. "But if you were her, where would you go first?"

There was a thoughtful moment of silence.

"Her dorm room?" Gumi suggested meekly.

"No," IA shook her head. "Nero's probably in the dorm room. Neru would probably be staying as far away as she could from Nero."

"That's true, but remember that Neru has nothing, apart from her pajamas with her. If she wanted to change and grab her things, she'd have to be in her dorm room. I mean, I highly doubt that we'd be able to find her in there, but at least we might find a clue that might point to her next destination."

Haku nodded. It made sense. IA and Gumi packed up quickly, and they set off to Neru's dorm room.

 **~o*o~**

It barely took them three minutes to dash across the grounds and arrive, breathless, in front of the dorm room. Gumi glanced at IA. IA glanced at Haku. Taking a deep breath, Haku knocked lightly on the door.

No one answered.

Haku knocked again.

No one answered.

"Is the door locked?" Gumi asked.

Haku twisted the doorknob cautiously. The door swung open.

"Let's go." Haku said bravely, stepping into the room.

The room was messy, with books and papers cluttered all over the room. The bed-sheets were rumpled, and some clothes were spilling out of the closet. Evidently, there was a significant lack of Neru's clothing and books, and her backpack was nowhere in the room.

"Yep, she definitely did come here," IA said.

Haku found herself standing at Neru's desk. There was a slip of paper, torn messily from a notebook lying there. As Haku picked it up, she could see the scrawl of Neru's handwriting all over it.

 _Hello, Haku, IA, and Gumi._

 _I'm really sorry about snapping at you guys. I just feel so angry at Nero, and I'm so sorry for taking it out on you guys._

 _Oh yeah. If it's Nero that's reading this, put the freaking paper down, and the word has been taken out to keep this story appropriate for readers of all ages you._

 _Back to the topic: I'm leaving Vocaloid Academy. I'll disappear for a few days… or weeks… or months… or years. I'll come back… probably. At any rate, I'm sorry for causing you guys so much trouble. Thank you so much for supporting me and being such great friends._

 _From, Neru_

"Oh my gosh," Haku whispered.

"She's leaving?" Gumi said hoarsely.

IA glanced around wildly. "Everything looks as if it's been recently moved. I think we can still catch her if we hurry. Where could she be now?"

"I have no idea!" Haku yelled, stuffing the note into her pocket and running out the door, IA and Gumi at her heels.

For the next hour, they crawled up and down the Academy, rushing through the classrooms, checking the grounds, blazing through the dorms, and screaming Neru's name over and over. Students glanced at them weirdly, but Haku didn't care. They just had to find Neru before she did something stupid.

After searching the school again, the three friends found themselves back at the dorms, sitting on the stone steps, gasping for breath.

"We can't find her," IA groaned. "It's impossible. Who knew Neru was so good at hide-and-seek?"

"Maybe we were too late," Gumi moaned. "Maybe she already left Vocaloid Academy. Maybe we'll never see her again."

Haku was too tired to reply.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow caught Haku's eye. She snapped her head up, to see Neru walking towards the back door of the dorms, her side-ponytail swinging. She had a massive backpack slung over a shoulder, and wore a both determined and sad expression on her face.

"Neru…!" IA yelped, but Haku slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shh!" Haku hissed. Slowly, the three of them crawled into the bushes, careful not to make too much noise as they slunk to the back door, watching Neru walk in.

"Hey, Neru!"

Haku's eyes widened in surprise. Why was Neru talking to Kagamine Rin?

"Hey, Rin." Neru said. Her voice sounded flat.

"Is there anything wrong? Do you need anything?" Rin's voice asked, concerned.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks, though." Neru said. "Is Len here?"

"No, Len's off with his friends." Rin answered. "Is there anything you need to tell him?"

There was a long pause.

"Yes," Neru said. They could hear the tears in her voice. "Nero doesn't understand it, but… I like Len."


	13. Mutual (somewhat) Understanding

**Hi guys, sorry for the very long wait.**

 **To answer a question: yes, Teto will show up, but some time later. Most of the well-known Vocaloids will show up, I think.**

 **Please review!**

 **Mutual (somewhat) Understanding**

Neru didn't know what to expect when she told Rin about her severe crush on Len. It just came out.

Part of her fully expected Rin to hate her, while the other half was numb with shock.

But Rin surprised her.

The blonde haired girl simply smiled gently, her blue eyes sparkling, and nodded slightly. "I'll pass on the message to Len," was her reply.

After the past day and a half, or somewhere thereabouts, Neru couldn't help but be grateful for such kindness.

"Sorry for bothering you," Neru murmured before turning to leave, almost tripping over her own feet to escape the apartment.

The cool night breeze was soothing against her flaming face, and it blew back the hair that had begun to stick to the back of her neck and her forehead. Neru sighed deeply, enjoying the refreshing atmosphere. She pressed the heels of her palm to her temple, forcing herself to think.

She needs a break: a long, long break to calm down from all this chaos. She needs some time alone, away from school and its nosy teachers, away from her gossiping classmates, away from her worrying friends, from Len, and especially away from Nero. But where could she go? Vocaloid Academy had become her home; if she went back to her parents, wouldn't they be suspicious? She didn't have enough money to support herself, not to mention underage…

 **"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Neru jumped at the horrified screams and spun around, only to be met by a tangling mass of white, green, and limbs which slammed into her and knocked her off her feet.

 **"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"**

Groaning beneath the pile of limbs, Neru tried to untangle herself, only to be pinned down by a certain green-haired girl.

"Neru, why didn't you ever tell us?" Gumi wailed. "We were so worried!"

"We were searching for you everywhere!" IA added. "I mean, what's so bad about having a crush on Kagamine Len? He's nice, and sweet, and-,"

Neru felt her face flare. "You-You guys heard everything?"

Haku looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, yeah. But before you accuse us of spying on you," she added hastily, "we just saw you walking towards Kagamine's room and decided to erm… investigate. We were worried and you wouldn't tell us what's wrong…"

"Yeah, about that…" Neru pushed Gumi off her and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully. "I'm really sorry for that…"

"Don't worry Neru. We saw your note." IA chirped.

"But the thing is," Haku began, always the serious one, "You can't just run away from your problems. If you run away, it will just keep chasing after you. You have to face it."

Neru wanted to scowl, wanted to refuse, but she couldn't make her muscles move.

Finally, after some mental struggle, she sighed and allowed her friends to pull her to her feet, and allowed them to lead her towards the distance where lights shone from windows.

During their silent walk home, Neru pondered about what to say. Obviously, they were heading towards the room she and her idiotic brother had shared, where Nero would obviously be, probably now enjoying the extra space and quiet.

Her anger rose, but IA, who was holding her hand and pulling her along, must have sensed her tensing, and she turned and flashed a sweet, gentle smile at her.

It made Neru feel better, because she knew that her friends would be on her side.

Nero, being the lazy, irresponsible brat he is, has left the door open, creaking slowly from a warm draft. Through the open crack they could see Nero on the sofa with his feet propped up against one arm and leaning on the other, staring at the television, and feasting on some chocolates.

 _Neru's_ chocolate.

The anger inside her flared once more, and this time, even sweet, gentle IA couldn't stop Neru from storming into the apartment, grabbing her box of sweets from her brother's hand and slapping the back of his head.

To her immense satisfaction, Nero gave a high-pitched yelp and began letting out a stream curses. Neru turned off the TV before pivoting to face Nero once more.

Nero glared at her, and she glared back, noting with delight the way he faltered slightly under her death glare. From her peripheral vision she could see her friends sighing and face-palming and shaking their heads in defeat and exasperation.

"You." Neru spat. She took a deep breath. "What in heaven's name did you do while I was gone? Look at that." She pointed at a pile of clothes near Nero's bed, her voice growing louder and louder by the second. "Why isn't any of those washed and cleaned? From now on, you are doing your own laundry, and if you decide to be lazy and skip, you'll have to endure people laughing at you as you stink down hall!"

"And that!" She gestured at his bed. "How do you even sleep in that? And look at your books! Scattered all over the place. How many times did you come whining to me about not being able to find your homework or textbooks? That," she jabbed a finger at Nero, who has an expression of utter shock, "is why you are failing school! How can you be so irresponsible? How many times did you get detention for foul language? When was the last time you got over a ninety, or even an eighty percent, on a test? In fact, when was the last time you actually went and stayed and listened for an entire class? Next time I hear any teachers telling me to try to control your behavior, you are going to sleep in the hallway until you've redeemed yourself a little bit! _And_ , I will take away your wallet, phone, and computer, since you don't use it to do homework anyway! _Do you understand me?_ "

Nero blinked a few times, his eyes drifting to the doorway where IA, Gumi, and Haku stood staring at Neru, and flushed lightly before nodding a little numbly.

Neru huffed with satisfaction, then remembered something else. "Also," she held up her box of chocolate, leaning forward so she was basically growling in his face, "you touch this one more time and I will lock you in the bathroom and keep you in there until you're half dead with hunger."

"Okay," Nero squeaked, trying to move his face farther away from his sister's.

"Good boy," Neru patted his head and smiling 'fondly'. She glanced at the clock. "It's almost ten. If you're not in bed by ten thirty, you'll be sleeping outside."

Immediately, Nero scrambled off the couch and into the bathroom to shower.

When he was out of sight, Neru walked up to her friends and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for letting you guys witness that. It wasn't pretty."

Gumi made a small noise of agreement.

"It's getting late. You guys should get going as well," she smiled at them. "It's been a long day."

And it most certainly was.

Though she didn't say it, Neru's eyes shone with gratitude that said everything. _'Thank you for bringing me back.'_

They grinned at her and waved. "Good night," they chorused before leaving.

"See ya'll tomorrow," Neru called. She closed the door gently and glanced at the clock. 10:05.

"Nero?" she called, knocking gently, "Make sure you don't take too long! I need to wash too, and I'm tired."

"Just wait," her younger brother called back, a hint of a whine in his voice.

 _Oh well_ , Neru shrugged and slumped onto the couch tiredly, yawning widely. It most certainly was a long day.

 **~o*o~**

Nero showered quickly, though he moved mostly with muscle memory, as his mind kept drifting to his sister.

Never, never in his whole life, had she gone so much as to _threatening_ him into listening to her. She had cursed at him, raged at him, cursed him some more, but she had never _threatened_ him. And holy Christ, she looked mighty serious when she said those words, as if she'd actually do all that. Her expression had pure _scary_. Perhaps he should let her cool a little.

How had this happened anyway? Right, Kagamine Len. Strange person that had seemed to pop out from nowhere. Well, it wasn't like Nero could do much about Neru liking the freak, and with a sigh of resignation, pulled on his pajamas and left the bathroom.

When Nero got out of the bathroom, the apartment was silent. Maybe Neru was reading or studying and didn't hear him come out.

However, when he looked around, he saw a head of gold leaning against the arm of the sofa. How can somebody who was literally thundering suddenly look so peaceful?

Smiling lightly, Nero took Neru's blanket from her bed and draped it onto her on the couch, tucking her in while he was at it.

"Good night, sis."


	14. Accidents Happen

**Hello, everyone. Here's the next update, hope you guys enjoy it! XD**

 **Vocaloid Academy**

 **Accidents Happen**

"Hey!"

Hibiki grinned as he saw Piko and Nero run up to him, their backpacks bouncing on their shoulders. Hibiki waved back happily.

"Next class is study hall, right?" Nero puffed.

"Yep," Hibiki confirmed, opening the classroom door for them. The three of them piled in, and found themselves seats in the back row. Hibiki took out his homework and pencil case, and set them on the desk. He'd love to goof around with Piko and Nero, but unfortunately, homework had to come first. He was failing math, and the teacher had a nasty habit of reporting the best and worst scores. He'd die if Ring found out…

Suddenly, the study hall teacher rapped the blackboard. Immediately, everyone looked up.

"Due to a schedule change, a new student will be joining us during this study hall period," the teacher announced.

"Where is she?" someone called out.

Right on cue, the door swung open to reveal a slender girl with long light blue hair, a pretty dress, and a bright smile.

Oh crap.

"Class, this is Ring Suzune." The teacher said.

Everyone nodded and waved, but Hibiki didn't do any of those. He had his head buried in his textbook, and his face was on fire. He was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and he suddenly felt awfully fidgety.

Thirty minutes later, he was still frozen in this position.

"Dude, are you all right?" Nero asked, poking him with a pen.

"Unhhh," Hibiki moaned. He felt like a zombie.

"Wake up," Piko nudged him. "Class is going to be over in a minute. Did you get that homework done yet?"

"Uh… no," Hibiki replied, but he managed to pull his head up. There was only one more minute left of class. He could do it. He could endure it. He could…

"Hey, Hibiki," Ring's voice called. Hibiki looked up tentatively to see her walking over, her long hair fluttering beautifully behind her. "Can I borrow a pencil? It'll only be for a minute. My pencil broke, and I just have to finish one last question."

"Y-yes, sure. You can keep it!" Hibiki blurted, shoving his favorite pencil into her hand.

Ring smiled as she took it. She looked so beautiful. "Thanks!"

Hibiki gave a goofy smile.

"Someone's in love!" Nero sang quietly.

"Shut up!" Hibiki whisper-yelled, his face flaming. Thank goodness Ring didn't hear.

Yes, it was true. Hibiki had this stupid, freaking, obsessive crush on Ring Suzune. Ever since he came to Vocaloid Academy and saw her, his childhood friend, he felt as if something was eating him alive. Over time, it just got worse and worse. Now, every time he even caught a glimpse of Ring, his face would be as red as a tomato, and he'd start making a fool out of himself.

Groaning, Hibiki slumped back down onto the table. Why, oh why, must his life be so freakishly complicated?

 **~o*o~**

For the rest of the day, Hibiki was just so grateful that he didn't catch another glimpse of Ring. That encounter during study hall had been enough. Besides, he really had to focus on his Math.

Unfortunately, Piko and Nero had other plans. Instead of heading straight to the dorms for homework, they made a little detour to the cafeteria for some snacks, taking Hibiki with them.

"Can I please go?" Hibiki pleaded, eyeing the setting sun. He hated how late the Academy let out.

"Nope!" Nero said happily.

Groaning, Hibiki dragged himself after them, forcing down the urge to strangle them as they seemed to take forever choosing between crème-brulee and pudding. After ten minutes, the three of them finally left the cafeteria, cradling small cups of crème-brulee. The food was actually pretty good, but Hibiki was too worried about his grades to really enjoy it.

But again, Piko and Nero got distracted.

"Look!" Piko yelled as they stepped out into the sunshine. Parked right in front of them was one of the best motorcycles Hibiki had ever seen. It was sleek black with streaks of royal blue running down. The handlebars and seats were gleaming with newness, and…

"We have to take a ride on this," Hibiki declared.

"Aren't you worried about your grades?" Nero pointed.

"Who cares about grades? This is so much more important!" Hibiki insisted. Making sure that no one was around; he grabbed a rock and a key from his pocket, and sat down on the motorcycle. He shoved the key into the ignition and used the rock to hammer it down. The honest truth is that he did feel pretty bad using someone's motorcycle unauthorized, but he was only borrowing it! He'd just take it out on a quick spin and bring it back, good as new.

Behind him, Piko and Nero finished their food and clambered on behind him. Hibiki grabbed the helmet dangling from the handlebars and strapped it on. Piko and Nero placed their hoods over their heads.

"You know… I'm getting a little bit nervous…" Nero said anxiously. "I just hope that Neru wouldn't see us…"

"Don't worry. We'll be fast," Hibiki reassured him. Ever since Neru made her 'statement', Nero had never been the same. A double statement would probably cause Nero to crawl into a hole for the rest of eternity.

"Let's go!" Hibiki yelled. He gunned the engine, and with a rumbling purr, the motorcycle shot forward.

The experience was amazing. Riding the motorcycle was just like flying. It sailed over the uneven cobbles and cracks on the sidewalk, and the wind blew their hair back, wonderfully cool. In moments, they were all whooping with delight.

Then… everything went wrong.

The sidewalk ended abruptly into a small flight of stairs, leading to a courtyard below them. Yes, the motorcycle flew over little steps and stairs, but a flight of them?

Hibiki's whoop soon turned into a scream as the motorcycle plummeted down the stairs, skidding and sliding. Some students passing by were pointing and yelling.

There was a screech. There was a thump. There was a crash. The motorcycle smashed down the stairs, landing in a heap. The three boys were thrown off their feet.

For a brief moment, there was only silence. The witnesses watched with eyes wide open and jaws hanging. Piko and Nero were still.

Hibiki hauled himself to his feet.

"Are you all right?" Hibiki wheezed, hobbling over to Piko and Nero.

"We're good," Nero groaned, wrapping his hood even tighter around his head. Piko nodded grimly.

Hibiki exhaled in relief… but his relief didn't last long.

There was a faint groan behind him. As he turned around, he saw a familiar girl lying there, crushed under the motorcycle. Her long blue hair was dusty, and her dress was torn. Scratches and bruises were all over her face and arms, and…

Hibiki felt the world swooping beneath his feet. No, no, no, this couldn't be real.

It was Ring.


	15. Guilt and Fear

**Guilt and Fear**

He felt like a coward.

In fact, Hibiki has never felt as cowardly as he was when he grabbed Piko and Nero and fled.

Students and witnesses pointed and called, but they hurried on, praying that no one caught a glimpse of their features.

Their prayer was fulfilled.

The next day at school, whispers had spread like wildfire about Ring's accident. There were many people who boasted about catching a glimpse of the culprits- three people that had fled the scene and disappeared, but none of them were identified.

During the chaos that followed after Hibiki, Nero, and Piko's escape, somebody had called the cops, which did nothing to sooth Hibiki's nerves. Ring has been sent to the Infirmary with a broken leg.

The cops, after some investigation, confirmed that the motorcycle belongs to Kaito, one of the 8 Elites.

To say that he's panicking is an understatement. He's so scared and so guilty that he thought he might begin to hyperventilate anytime.

Nero and Piko weren't much better. Piko had always been shy and withdrawn, but the recent event had casted a glassy sheen to his different colored eyes so he often looked like he's staring into space. Hibiki was glad he wasn't the only one who was afraid.

As for Nero, he was the opposite of Piko. It seemed that after the accident, he wouldn't stop talking, wouldn't stop ranting about how much trouble they were in and how bad the situation could become. Most of all, how badly his sister would kill him if she found out.

Hibiki hated how pessimistic Nero could be.

Ring regained consciousness after two days, and she was rewarded with hordes of visitors. She had always been quite popular for her kind and gentle attitude.

Many people prompted him to go visit Ring- it seems as if the whole world, excluding Ring, knew about his crush on her. And he would have gone to visit her, if it wasn't for the fear eating him up.

So for now, Hibiki simply took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate on the history teacher's droning voice.

 **~o*o~**

It took several days, but in the end, he mustered enough courage to visit Ring.

Her visitors has already begun to diminish, so it wasn't difficult for Hibiki to find a time when nobody might be there to see him with her.

When he entered tentatively, Ring's eyes were closed, as if she was asleep. But at the sound of the door opening, her sapphire blue eyes opened, her lips tilting into a beautiful smile as she saw him.

Just like all the other times he saw her, his face began to burn.

"H-Hey," he stammered, trying not to sound too awkward. "How are you doing?"

"Hi," Ring greeted back. "I'm fine. No worries."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Then there was silence, which in Hibiki's opinion, was extremely awkward.

And then Ring spoke. "You were quite late to visit."

"Y-Yeah, I know." Hibiki's heart began to hammer loudly against his ribs. "I wanted to come when there're not as many people…"

"I see."

There it was again, that awkward silence.

"I brought you a present," Hibiki began sheepishly. "It's… it's not much, but I wish you get better soon."

Ring's eyes brightened immediately and she turned a hopeful expression to him as he held out a box.

She opened it slowly, as if causing suspension for herself, and squealed with delight at the sight of a simple, small golden bell on a long silver chain. A cheap, simple necklace, not even all that pretty, and yet she had reacted as if he had given her a diamond tiara.

His heart ached at the sight of her fawning over the necklace and smiling wonderfully at the simple _Get Well!_ card. If she knew…

"I'm sorry…" he began, steeling himself to tell her the truth, to see her disappointment and hatred. However, the moment she turned those joyful blue eyes to him, he couldn't help but falter. To crush her happiness like that…

"About what?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm sorry it's not that nice a gift," he improvised instead.

Ring shook her head and smiled kindly. "It's wonderful, Hibiki. Don't worry: I love it. Thank you so much." She reached out and pulled him into an awkward hug, then smiled widely. "I'll treasure it forever."

Hibiki's smile was forced as they pulled apart. "You should rest," he said, his voice falsely bright as Ring yawned. "I'll leave now."

Ring nodded vaguely and waved, that smile never fading as he walked out the Infirmary.

Outside in the hall, Hibiki Lui sighed and leaned against the white walls, sliding down slowly into a crouching position and burying his face into his hands.

He truly was a coward.

 **Please Review!**


	16. Wrong Accusations

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter. Don't forget to review! Reviews make us very happy.**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Wrong Accusations**

The next morning, Hibiki woke up, miserable. He slogged through the morning, hazy and heavy with guilt and fear. Nero and Piko also looked sad, but none of them reached his level of misery.

During lunch, the three of them sat at their usual table. Nero and Piko ate their meals silently, while Hibiki's food remained untouched.

"You should eat," Piko advised. "Being hungry won't help anything."

"I can't," Hibiki moaned.

Sighing, Piko gave up.

A few moments later, a small group of five, most of the eight Elites, led by Kaito, walked past their table. Meiko had her arms laced in his, chatting loudly. They all looked so happy, so carefree… Hibiki was surprised they didn't notice his moping.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced through the air. Jumping, Hibiki saw two policemen run into the cafeteria. Everyone was silent, but their eyes were as big as teacups. The police didn't have their guns out, but their scowling faces and angry posture made Hibiki's knees turn to jelly.

"May I ask, is Mr. Kaito here?" one of the policemen asked. Meiko's grip visibly tightened.

Kaito was looking at the policemen evenly. "Yes."

"Good," the policemen said, striding forward and removing a set of gleaming handcuffs. The entire Academy seemed to hold its breath.

"What is going on?" Kaito asked.

Mercilessly, the policeman clipped the handcuffs around Kaito's wrist and dragged him, quite roughly, down the cafeteria, Meiko torn from him.

"The motorcycle that has hit Ms. Ring Suzune is yours. Therefore, you have become our prime suspect…" the policemen said more, but after that quick sentence, Hibiki couldn't hear anything at all. All he heard was the pounding of his heartbeat. His hands were soon drenched with sweat, and the guilt inside of him screamed.

In moments, Kaito was dragged out, and they could hear the purr of the police car driving away.

"Kaito? Kaito?" a girl with teal blue hair appeared, her eyes wide with fear. "Kaito?"

Hibiki swallowed. He began to stand up and leave-

"No," Nero snapped. Hibiki felt himself being dragged out of the cafeteria. "No, Hibiki, you are not turning yourself in."

"But I have to," Hibiki croaked. "I can't let Kaito…"

"Don't worry about him," Nero scowled. "Kaito's an adult. He can take care of himself. We can't risk exposing ourselves, or we're screwed. We could get kicked out of Vocaloid Academy! Our entire lives are at stake! Neru's going to kill me!"

"But…" Hibki rasped.

"I… I agree with Hibiki." Piko said meekly. "It's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, sure, to you, maybe, but I'd rather stay alive and have my future intact than to just 'do the right thing'." Nero snarled. "Think about it. Would you throw away your entire life just to 'do the right thing'?"

Piko remained silent. Hibiki wanted to confess, he wanted to push that guilt away from him… but he thought of what Nero said. It made sense. Kaito could take care of himself. There was no need in turning himself in.

"I won't tell anyone." Hibiki said weakly.

"Good," Nero seemed satisfied. "Now, let's get back into the cafeteria and finish lunch. I'm starving."

 **~o*o~**

That night, Hibiki decided to visit Ring again. Why did he do that? Hibiki had no idea. Inwardly, he just desperately hoped that maybe Ring might help him make a choice, and maybe even take away a little bit of that guilt.

Patiently, Hibiki waited for Ring's last group of visitors to leave. When he was sure no one was left, he crept in.

"Hey, Hibiki!" Ring said cheerfully.

"Hi," Hibiki said shyly. Thank goodness it was too dark for his blush to show.

"So…" Ring shifted. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh no, I'm great!" Hibiki said quickly. Yeah, right, he was anything but 'great'.

"All right…" Ring said.

"I'm just here to ask… did you happen to see who knocked you down?" Hibiki blurted.

Ring paused. Every second felt like pure torture. Finally, Ring took a deep breath and answered, "No, I didn't see who was on the bike. They were wearing either helmets or hoods, but they were definitely too young to be driving."

"Really? Are you sure you didn't see their faces?" Hibiki asked, hope and dread rising.

"No," Ring confirmed.

"All right, thanks!" Hibiki said, and fled the room, not waiting for Ring to speak more.

Ring didn't know it was him. He was saved. He didn't have to turn himself in. But… but why did he still feel so terrible?


	17. Advised Knowledge

**Sorry for the long wait! Here's the newest chapter.**

 **Advised Knowledge**

Time passed restlessly, and soon, Ring was out of the hospital, even though she still needed crutches.

However, that did nothing to ease Hibiki's inner turmoil.

Kaito was still on probation, and that fact alone sent many people in distress. After all, the university student was quite popular, and being one of the Elite 8, very well-known.

Ring was in several of Hibiki's classes, and every time he saw her, he felt like either throwing himself out the window, stabbing himself to death, or go begging for forgiveness at her feet: none of which were choices appealing to him.

Nero would not allow him to even mutter one word about the situation. While Nero was usually on the bossy side- one trait he shared with his sister- this was getting a little extreme. Piko continues to worry and obviously does not share Nero's views, but he was too quiet and spineless to argue.

Hibiki's guilt continued to grow, and it befuddled his brain and began to control his everyday life. He became jumpier and unfocused, often unable to concentrate in class. His grades began to drop considerably, but his distress about his grades did not outweigh his guilt.

In the end, it was Mr. Hiyama who first decided that he had had enough.

Mr. Hiyama had always been observant, even more so when it comes to his students. While he was strict in grading, he was compassionate about his subject and was kind to his students. So even though Hibiki was not happy about the fact that he was being approached by a teacher, he couldn't help but be slightly grateful that it was Mr. Hiyama and not some other inconsiderate, crude authority.

Of course, Hibiki was still extremely, extremely nervous.

He cautiously knocked twice on the wooden door.

"Come in," the teacher inside called.

Hibiki gingerly slid the door open and stepped up to Mr. Hiyama's desk.

However, Mr. Hiyama stood up from before his computer with his cup of coffee in his hand, and he led Hibiki to the small sofa and tea table in the center of the tiny office that the Academy had been able to supply for every teacher.

"Sit," he commanded.

Hibiki did so, his movements stiff and ready. Ready to do what? He did not know. To fight, maybe, if necessary, or to bolt from this office the moment he was being suspected. Possible scenarios played themselves over in his head, each even worse and disastrous than the last.

"I've noticed lately," Mr. Hiyama began thoughtfully, "that you've been extremely distracted. This was proved not just from your disappointing grades, but also from your lack of participation in class and lack of thoughtfulness in your homework and quizzes. Is there something in particular that's bothering you, Hibiki? I might not be the counselor, but I am always happy to help ease your worries and share your burdens. After all, it's good to get some pressure out."

Though Hibiki had expected this, when it actually happened, he found himself unable to supply an answer. In the end, he managed to stutter out, "Erm… no, no. There's nothing."

Mr. Hiyama raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "I see," he said slowly. "Then would you like to explain why you are starting to fail all your subjects?"

Hibiki swallowed, then replied cautiously and just as slowly, "I… might be sleeping a little too late. After all, lack of sleep can negatively affect student concentration and-," he knew that if he continued to talk, he would start babbling, and then it'd be walking on a tightrope to avoid leaking anything that might get him expelled. Thankfully, Mr. Hiyama put a firm hand on his shoulder and told him to stop.

"That's enough, Hibiki." Mr. Hiyama's eyebrows were disappearing off his forehead; it was that obvious he was lying. Hibiki mentally groaned. He knew he wasn't prepared for things like this.

"Since it's quite obvious that you are unwilling to talk about your problems, I propose this: you can ask me questions, any questions, as long as they might be able to help you. I won't force you into telling me anything, and I won't guess either. Just fire away, and I'll answer the questions the best I could."

Now that was something Hibiki did not expect. He thought about rejecting the kind offer, but catching a glimpse of the eagerness and warmth and worry in Mr. Hiyama's eyes, he couldn't help but relent.

He began cautiously, "What if… you did something really bad and were afraid of the consequences?"

Mr. Hiyama thought for a moment. "It depends, really. Could you be more specific?"

Hibiki paused for a long time. How can he rephrase and specify this question without revealing anything? Then finally, he asked, "If someone got hurt because of you, how can you approach them? How do you let them know? What is the right thing to do?"

Mr. Hiyama smiled, his eyebrows settling at last. "Now that," he said smugly, "is something I can answer. We're finally getting somewhere."

 **~o*o~**

Two hours later, Hibiki finally stood from the small couch in Mr. Hiyama's office. Even though his mouth was parched dry from talking, his chest felt lighter than it had been for a very long time. Perhaps he really could get over it. Maybe it wouldn't turn out too bad in the end.

He turned and bowed to Mr. Hiyama, thanking him profusely, then turned once more to start out the door.

However, just when his hand reached for the doorknob, Mr. Hiyama spoke up. "You were the one who hit Ring, weren't you?"

Hibiki froze, his hand still hovering over the doorknob. His heartbeat began to race, the gears in his head beginning to turn desperately.

He can definitely run away, piece of cake, but where to? And if he ran away, it'd be even more obvious that it was actually him.

He could deny it, argue that it's false, but what other excuse can he give for asking such seemingly whimsical questions?

After debating for what felt like forever, Hibiki turned stiffly to face his teacher and spoke, his voice cracking at the end, "Yes, it was me."

 **~o*o~**

It was night, and the crescent moon hung with the twinkling stars, wisps of clouds clinging to the light.

In his dorm room, Hibiki tossed and turned on his bed. He couldn't sleep. Not when Mr. Hiyama's words continued to play itself over and over in his head.

 _Do not let anyone affect you. Just do what you think is right._

Hibiki knew that it would be right to confess, to let everyone know the truth, to let the police free Kaito. There was nobody at fault here but him. It was his idea to steal the motorcycle, and it was him who had driven it.

 _Just do what you think is right._

Even when the sun began to rise, Hibiki was unable to fall asleep.

 _What I think is right…_

Finally, two hours before his alarm rang, Hibiki Lui fell into uneasy sleep.


	18. Sin and Repentence

**Hello, everyone! Here's the next update, hope you enjoy!**

 **Sin and Repentence**

It was a really nice day. A bit on the chilly side, but that was no surprise, since Hibiki was perching on the roof of Vocaloid Academy. He settled himself in a nice little nook between two spires, and looked around him. The sun was setting, turning the sky into muted shades of orange and gold. Half of the sky was still in the pale eggshell blue of day, and the other half was the rich indigo of night. The pond below them glittered like stars. Birds flew across the sunset, throwing silhouettes across the earth. A cool wind blew, causing leaves to flutter. Students were crossing the paths and lawns, heading to the cafeteria for a quick dinner or going back to the dorms for a well-needed nap.

Hibiki curled onto himself, tucking his knees to his chest. For a moment, he wobbled precariously, and his heart leapt. But he managed to steady himself enough so he didn't plummet down…

Was this how Ring had felt when he hit her? Did she feel that sickening plummet of her stomach, and alarm, and the frantic adrenaline rushing through her body?

Suddenly, there was a rustle beside him. Hibiki turned around to see a little girl with long platinum blond hair and wearing a fluffy black dress walk towards him, a hand loosely holding a small silver axe. A worn stuffed bunny with button eyes sagged through the crook of an elbow. How she managed to climb up carrying those things, Hibiki had no idea.

Hibiki recognized her as Mayu. They weren't in the same class, but he had seen her roaming the school grounds before. To be honest, she kind of scared him. All right, more accurately, her axe scared him.

Mayu sat next to him. The nook was big enough for both of them, but it was a tight fit. Hibiki squirmed, especially when he felt the cold axe rest next to his arm.

For a brief moment, they just sat there in silence. The wind blew again, stirring their hair. Hibiki really wished he brought a jacket.

"Guilt," Mayu said suddenly.

"Um… what?" Hibiki gulped nervously.

"You're guilty," Mayu said, her voice clear and sweet. "I can smell your guilt. You're guilty. And all guilty people…" At this, Mayu raised her axe. Hibiki's stomach dropped with fright. "…should be executed."

Hibiki swallowed. "Erm… why?"

"If someone sinned once and did not receive proper punishment, they will sin again, so they must be executed. But if the sinner confessed, repented, and accepted their punishment willingly and without complaint, they deserve a second chance and will not be executed."

With that, Mayu raised her axe higher and threw it. The axe arced down to the ground, a shimmering star of silver before splashing into the pond. Mayu laughed, stood up, and scampered away. The worn bunny seemed to grin at Hibiki, button eyes mocking, before it, too, disappeared with Mayu.

For a moment, Hibiki sat there, thoughtful.

Then, he got up and went back to his room.

 **~o*o~**

Hibiki skipped dinner, because he wasn't hungry, but he did munch on a few granola bars just for the sake of it. He thought about what Mayu had said.

 _If the sinner didn't get punished, they'd sin again_. For sure, Hibiki wouldn't 'borrow' motorcycles for the next few hundred years, but if he'd hit someone that wasn't Ring, he'd probably feel guilty for a few moments, and forget about it. So what Mayu said was true. But Mayu had also said that if the sinner repented, he'd deserve a second chance. If Hibiki went to Ring and confessed… would she forgive him? Ring's really nice, so she'd probably forgive him, but he'd lose every chance of having his crush like him. Ring might also tell the administration, and he'd be expelled, and where would he be then? His future was an endless stretch of catastrophe and pain.

Suddenly, there was a knock.

"Come in!" Hibiki called. It was probably just Nero, here to get the homework answers.

The door creaked open.

It was Ring.


	19. The Final Truth

**The Final Truth**

Hibiki's stomach plummeted.

Ring stepped gracefully into his dorm room, looking shy and nervous, but at the same time, worried. She closed the door gently behind her, then took another hesitant step forward.

Hibiki flinched.

Ring flinched as well, after seeing his flinch.

The atmosphere was so awkward Hibiki wanted to flinch again just to attempt to break it, but he couldn't seem to be able to will his body into movement.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Ring took a deep breath, walked to the couch and settled down stiffly and carefully.

Just as stiffly and carefully, Hibiki stood, clearing his throat and asking, forcing the trembling out of his voice, "Erm… Would you like anything to drink? Eat?"

"No, no I'm fine," Ring replied, then took another deep breath as if trying to calm herself down.

"Okay." Hibiki sat back down.

The awkwardness returned, stronger than ever.

"Hibiki…" Ring spoke suddenly, breaking the silence, "I need to talk to you about something."

Hibiki's heart hammered nervously, various scenarios playing over his head. What could she possibly…?

Ring steadied her voice. "Hibiki, we… we've been friends for a very long time. Long before we came to this school. Longer than I could remember."

Hibiki nodded.

"You know, right? You understand that you're always my friend, right?" Her voice was beginning to rise. "So why is it that ever since we got to this school, so suddenly, you just drifted off? I know, you've got new friends, better friends perhaps, but you wouldn't even talk to me anymore! Especially now! All you've done was avoid me. Was it something I did? Something I said?" Ring inhaled deeply, settling her brief rant.

 _Was that a rhetorical question?_ Hibiki couldn't help but wonder. He wished it was. He didn't want to answer it.

"Please tell me." Ring begged.

 _Shit._

Hibiki remained silent as Ring waited patiently. The gears in his mind were turning at a rapid pace. _How should he answer? What could he say?_

Finally, he opened his mouth, and the thing that came out was something he regretted at first, but soon was so, so glad he said it.

"What… do you think about… fatal secrets?"

Ring blinked, mildly surprised.

"Fatal… secrets," she repeated. Hibiki nodded slowly. "Well… if I have to be truthful… I think that it depends on who it's fatal for. If it's fatal for someone else, don't expose it, because it's not going to benefit anybody; unless it's for the greater good, that is. It's all about the greater good. If… if it's fatal for yourself… well, you shouldn't tell either, because nobody wants to die, but if telling it would help everyone else, I think it'd be better to tell it. Just- and god, this sounds cheesy, but- just follow your heart. Do what you think is right and damn the consequences. Because," and now, she allowed a beautiful smile to creep up her face, "because in the end, everything will be okay. And if it's not okay, it's definitely not the end."

Her speech trailed into silence. A silence that lasted too long, but was not so awkward like it had been before. It was a silence pregnant with thought, and it was during this silence, that Ring somehow felt content once more.

She rose slowly, and started towards the door. The blue-haired girl had a hand on the doorknob when Hibiki spoke one word. "Stop."

The single word was felt with such tangled and wild and raw emotions that Ring ceased all movements immediately, and during the silence that followed, settled back down on her previous perch.

Hibiki took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself down. "Ring…" he began suddenly, breaking the quivering silence, "I need to tell you a secret."

 **~o*o~**

And it was so much easier than he expected. The words poured from his heart as he told the whole story to the victim of his curiosity and wild impulses: how he had seen the motorcycle and how he had deemed it necessary for a drive; how everything had gone out of control, and how everything afterwards, slowly but surely, spiraled into madness.

Ring listened patiently, unwavering. She didn't speak. She didn't react. She just continued to listen, a small, mildly sad smile clinging onto her expression.

When Hibiki's story was finished, the silence was almost unbearable for him. He hung his head in shame, fidgeting slightly.

 _What will she do?_ He wondered. _Will she rage or cry to grieve? Will she hate him?_

But Ring Suzune was a girl of gentle words and whispered comforts. She was girl who never allowed herself to succumb to those darker, wilder feelings. So she did none of that. She did not curse him or spite him. She did the one thing a girl like her would do: she came forward, stopping in front of Hibiki. He flinched.

And then she caught him in a tight embrace, holding onto him and never wanting to let go. His body was stiff as a board, pressed against hers, and Ring could almost feel the gigantic question mark over his head.

"It's okay," she whispered gently, her voice a carrier of light and warmth. "You did the right thing. Thank you so much. Thank you so, so very much."

And the body against hers slackened, then tensed again, but this time the tenseness of a trembling dam of emotions. A few drops of tears wetted the shoulder of Ring's school uniform.

"It's okay," she repeated.

The boy relaxed completely, sobs racking his body and tears soaking Ring's shirt. Hibiki seemed to be pouring out all his guilt and pent up emotions into a single release.

So Ring stayed with him well into the night, with her murmured comforts and whispered words. It was one of those things she knew she would never forget, and never regret.

 **~o*o~**

Afterwards, it was chaos.

Two days after his breakdown, Ring led Hibiki to the school authorities to confess. The information was then shared with the police (a tad bit too dramatic, in Ring's opinion). Kaito was released from custody, much to the relief of many people, mostly Meiko and Miku. Of course, the full truth was dragged out from him soon enough, and so Piko and Nero were dragged in as well; Piko as shy and bashful as ever, Nero glaring and cussing up a storm.

It was chaos.

Neru burst in, filled with angry rants and raging storms. The Principal, a few police officers, and Ring got caught up in a heated debate, which, shockingly enough, Ring won. The former decision to expel Hibiki was reduced down to a mere suspension, along with a lifetime's worth of detentions. Piko and Nero were with him in the detentions, but they avoided the suspension, due to the fact that they were not the ones driving. Then Kaito came in, looking as casual as ever, but very nicely managed to threaten Hibiki, Piko, and Nero into paying him back for the damaged windshield and lights of his motorcycle.

But in the end, it all seemed okay. Because he was really so, so glad he asked that question about fatal secrets. The question that started the end of a suffocating mess. And the end was like the calm- not _before_ the storm, but after the storm. The calm where all you can do is feel relieved, and satisfyingly exhausted, and all you know is that things will get better, and everything will be okay in the end.

Because if it's not okay, it is never the end.

 **Please Review!**


	20. Misunderstandings

**Hello, everyone. Welcome back to this story. Please review!**

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 **Misunderstandings**

Rion regretted lots of things on the first day of school. For example, she regretted not bringing an umbrella, because a few days later, she found herself caught in a thunderstorm and soaked to the skin. Another example would be not bringing any books or entertainment with her, believing that the Academy would be filled with books and technology. However, the library opened a week after the first day, and the computers were only for studying purposes, so she was stuck with boredom until the dreaded week passed.

Mostly, she regretted not making any friends. Once she arrived at the Academy, she felt like a terrified little kindergartener. She kept her lead low, her voice quiet, and slunk in the shadows. Around her, while everyone was greeting old friends and making new ones, she was hiding in the janitor's closet having a panic attack. Goodness sake, even that tiny blond new girl was braver than she was!

After two weeks of hiding, she finally got to her feet. But it was too late. She could still remember tagging after everyone around her, her voice high and hopeful, asking if she could sit with them during lunch, or study with them, or go out for a cup of coffee. But again, it was too late. Everyone had formed groups. Some of them openly told her to get out of their way. Others were kinder, declining her offers politely. The kindest ones actually went out for tea or coffee with her, but they would always be too busy tapping on their phones or chatting with anyone in sight… but just not her.

Rion could still clearly remember the next few weeks after that. Once she realized that she would pretty much have no friends for the long, hard year ahead of her… it was tragic. Every time she saw a group of friends chat with each other in the cafeteria, she'd feel a pang of sadness. Every time she saw friends comforting each other, she felt a pang of misery. It seemed as if she would never be happy again… until that one day when she stumbled across that little café in a corner nobody really looked into.

Vocaloid Academy had a few shops here and there, scattered all over the campus. Yes, students did go there once in a while to grab a snack or a quick drink, but they were mostly very empty and quiet.

One day, Rion was just walking around until she saw a small hut hidden in a grove of trees facing the lake. Curiously, she headed towards there, her feet crunching on leaves and twigs. As she headed closer, she could see the finer details of the hut. It was mostly made of rough wooden planks, but it had gigantic windows. A bit of smoke was pouring out of its chimney, and even from outside, it had a homey sort of feel to it.

Carefully, Rion knocked on the door. When no one answered, she walked in.

The interior was even cozier than outside. There were wooden tables and chairs in one section, a few fluffy armchairs in the next, a little bar, and a literal army of beanbags. Fresh flowers were on every table, and a fireplace crackled merrily in a corner. The air was filled with the pleasant aroma of freshly ground coffee and pie just out of the oven. In simpler words, it was the most beautiful place Rion had ever seen in her life.

"Hello?" Rion called.

"Yes?" a voice called from the back. Soon, a kind-looking woman bustled into view, setting a steaming pie onto a table. Immediately, Rion's mouth started watering as she smelled the pecan and chocolate wafting from the pastry.

"Hi," Rion said, feeling suddenly shy.

"Hello, dear," the woman said. "Would you like anything?"

"Um… I…" Rion swallowed. For a moment, she thought about scampering away. Then, she took a deep breath. "Can I work here?"

"Work here?" the woman frowned. "We have all the help we need, and we're already a little short on money…"

"You don't need to pay me!" Rion blurted. "I just want to… well, help out, you know. Maybe I can wash dishes, or change the flowers, or just clean a bit…" Rion trailed off uncertainly.

The woman's face burst into a smile. "That's excellent! Of course!"

"Great!" Rion said in relief.

The woman grabbed a knife, a fork, and a small plate from behind the bar. She cut out a big piece of a pie and handed it to Rion. "Have a seat. I'll run you through what we do in this café and…" the woman continued to talk, teaching her how to use the coffee machines and to run the place.

Rion and the woman sat down at a table, facing each other. While the woman talked, Rion stabbed her fork into the pie. Quickly, she put it into her mouth. It was a little hot, but the nutty flavor and the chocolate melted on her tongue. It wasn't just any normal pie. It spoke of home, it spoke of kindness, warmth, and compassion.

For a moment, the benevolence of the café's owner filled the empty hole in her heart. For the next few weeks, Rion was happy.

Of course, that happiness couldn't last.

One day, Rion was wiping the tables when a small group of students walked in, ordering drinks and snacks. They had textbooks out, but they weren't studying. They were laughing with each other, gossiping and having fun. When one of them spilled some coffee onto her books, everyone leapt to help, grabbing napkins and saving the rest of the books from the liquid.

From then on, the hole in her heart came back. It didn't matter how homely or warm the café was, because nothing could ever fill up that hole… except for a good friend.

 **~o*o~**

There were lots of weird friendships in Vocaloid Academy, but none of the weirdness was quite like Iroha and Yukari. Iroha was very loud and cheerful, and always wore bright colors, especially red, that mirrored her personality. On the other hand, Yukari was quiet and kind, preferring cooler tones, such as purple. Never in a thousand years would you expect them to be acquaintances, much less friends, but somehow, they did it. They fitted snugly together like puzzle pieces stuck together with superglue. Nothing could break them. Or so it seemed.

It started off as an accident, a simple accident anyone could make. During lunch one day, Iroha had to print out her paper which was due the next class after lunch. Of course, Iroha told Yukari to wait for her at the cafeteria and rushed off to the computer lab. Shrugging and wishing her friend luck (after all, it really depends whether the printing gods are happy or not. On some days, the printers worked beautifully. On other days, the printers simply refused to print), Yukari headed off.

At the cafeteria, Yukari bought herself some _onigiri_ and sat down at their usual table. For a moment, she just ate, and everything was normal. Then, she looked up and suddenly realized how… how quiet everything suddenly seemed. Everyone in the cafeteria seemed to be sitting with someone, and pretty much everyone had conversations going. On the other hand, she was just sitting there alone, nibbling on her food, and looking kind of lonely. Without Iroha… wow, life was kind of quiet, huh?

Yukari shrugged again and took another bite. Iroha would be here soon enough.

"Hey, Yukari!"

Yukari looked up to see IA and Gumi walking past, placing their food on the table beside her.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Gumi offered. "Iroha can sit with us later too."

"Sure!" Yukari said. She grabbed her tray over to the other table and sat down. Really, why not? There really was no harm in sitting with a few other friends while waiting for Iroha.

 **~o*o~**

The printing gods were kind of _meh_ today. Iroha's first few tries weren't too successful, but on the third try, she was delighted to see her essay come out of the printer instead of the inky mess she got previously.

Happily, Iroha grabbed her lunch bag and her paper before rushing off to the cafeteria. She was starving, and…

Iroha rounded the corner. Then, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Yukari was sitting with IA and Gumi. If she was just sitting there, chatting a bit, that would have been perfectly fine, but oh no. The three of them looked as if they were best friends for life. They were sharing lunches, roaring with laughter at jokes, and…

Iroha felt heat rush to her face, and she was suddenly dizzy. Oh, all right, then. So Yukari had abandoned her. Was she too bossy? Was she too mean? Nope! She wasn't bossy or mean whatsoever. Yukari had no reason to leave her. And she did anyway.

Iroha wasn't hungry anymore. She stormed up to the happy little trio and crossed her arms.

Then, she waited.

And waited.

And continued to wait.

IA, Gumi, and Yukari were so caught up in their happy little lives they had no idea that one very pissed off best friend was standing right behind them with red-hot anger spreading through her veins. They were still laughing and joking, and completely ignoring her.

Iroha cleared her throat very loudly.

IA was the first to notice. She looked up with a big grin. "Hey, Iroha! Do you want to…" IA trailed off.

"Glad for you guys to finally notice me," Iroha said coldly. Now, Gumi and Yukari had also turned to look at her. Smiles vanished from their faces when they saw her furious expression.

There was one moment of awkward silence.

"Um…" Yukari said. "So… what's wrong? You look kind of…"

" _What's wrong?_ " Iroha shrieked. "What's wrong is that you freaking abandoned me!"

Yukari's face paled. Probably from guilt or shame. Perfect. Iroha was glad that that little traitor felt nasty for her treachery.

"I..." Yukari opened her mouth, but Iroha cut her down.

"Yeah, so you abandoned me, right? Are you happy now, sitting with your new best friends?" Iroha snarled. "What did I do, huh? Did I say a single bad thing about you? No! Did I help you out in literally every freaking stage of your little life? Yes! Come on, we've been friends our whole lives, and right now, you're leaving me for two people you barely know. Wow, I am so proud of you." Iroha hissed sarcastically.

"Iroha, wait!" Yukari protested.

"Wait, huh? You are just _so_ patient," Iroha was on a roll. She just couldn't stop. "I asked you to wait five minutes for me. You can't even do that, huh? You little- _beep_ _-_."

For a moment time seemed to freeze. Everyone's face froze in shock at the brutal vocabulary.

Then, Yukari's face cracked. Without any hesitation, she ran from the cafeteria.

"What did you do?" Gumi said hoarsely.

"What did I do? _What did I do?_ " Iroha laughed, harsh and bitter. "You should be looking at yourself. You little brats turned my best friend away from me."

"We didn't do anything!" IA said hurriedly. A bit of distress leaked into her voice. "We invited Yukari over because she was lonely and…"

Iroha took a deep breath for another rant. IA must have seen it, because IA snatched in a quick breath of air and spoke so fast it sounded as if she was rapping.

"Nononowait, letusfinish, please, weinvitedYukarioverbecauseshewassittingalone, andwealsotoldhertoinviteyoutoo, butshemusthaveforgotten! Not our fault!" IA finished, heaving for air.

"Oh, so it's not your fault now, huh?" Iroha snarled. "You little cowards."

With that, Iroha turned on her heel and stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving everyone staring at her in shock. What happened to the two girls who had been pretty much sisters only moments ago?


	21. A Little Cafe

**A Little Café**

The feeling of loneliness and rejection was strange. Strange in the worse way possible.

Yukari couldn't stop her tears from flowing as she continued to flee. Other students were a blur around her, their faces unclear through her tears. They were all clustered in little groups, chatting, laughing, having a great time.

It made her feel so, so lonely.

Iroha had approached her on the first day of school, and had commented on how she liked her light violet hair. It was so random, yet so kind and welcoming that Yukari couldn't help but start giggling. Iroha had looked confused for a moment, then joined her with bouts of boisterous laughter, and then, their friendship bloomed.

But now, that blossom of friendship was wilting, and it left Yukari emptier than she had ever felt before. People in Vocaloid Academy were nice, but no one else was Iroha.

The tears just wouldn't stop.

Yukari knew she wasn't crying because of the insult Iroha had thrown at her. It was the pure contempt and hurt and bitterness in Iroha's voice that broke Yukari's self-control.

Seeing all the clusters of friends around her, Yukari felt suddenly sick. She wanted to go somewhere she could be alone, somewhere she could stay until she calmed down.

So she ran towards the forest.

Hidden in a small grove of trees, facing the lake, there was a little café. Barely anyone went there, and to Yukari, it was just about the perfect place.

She stopped in front of the café for a moment, wiping at her tears and trying to clear all signs of sorrow, before cautiously pushing open the wooden door. A small bell rang at her arrival, and immediately, she was hit by the pleasant smell of coffee and hot pie.

A fireplace crackled merrily on one side, illuminating the room with warmth and a cozy, orange light. There were wooden tables and chairs, several fluffy armchairs, beanbags, and even a tiny bar.

"Hello," a voice said.

Yukari looked to the front to see a girl about her age in a modest maid's dress. She had straight cut purple hair that varied in length, the shorter hair barely brushing her chin and the longer have pulled into twin ponytails. Her deep purple eyes were soft and warm, just like the café.

"Is there anything you want?" she asked, her voice welcoming.

Yukari shook her head slightly, just gestured towards one of the armchairs near the fireplace, not exactly trusting herself to speak.

The girl nodded and retreated, and Yukari plopped down onto the cushions, sinking in comfortably.

The café was silent save for the crackling of the fire. Despite the homeliness of the place, the hole in Yukari's chest remained gaping. Unconsciously, another tear slipped down her cheek and landed on the back of her hand. It glittered like a pearl on her hand, so pretty for such a sad thing.

There was suddenly some rustling sounds behind her, and Yukari looked up to see the maid approaching with a tray. There was a steaming cup of hot chocolate and several tissues.

"You look like you need it," she said quietly, passing the drink to her and setting the tissues on the coffee table before her.

Yukari sniffled before sipping at the hot chocolate- perfect, not too sweet with a hint of bitterness, the taste of milk and chocolate blending wonderfully. She sniffled again, placing the cup next to the tissues and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, trying not to show any signs of hurt.

The girl next to her shifted awkwardly.

"Um…" she spoke timidly, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Yukari shook her head and grabbed a handful of the tissues from the table.

The silence was crushing.

"It's okay to cry, you know," a small voice comforted her. "There're usually not much people here. This is the place where you could just lay all your burdens down and shuffle through them to your heart's content. If possible, something might even be solved here." There was a gentle hand on her shoulder. "My name is Tone Rion. If there're any problems or worries you are willing to share, I'll be here. You're Yukari, right?"

Yukari nodded, Rion's words only half registering in her mind.

"I remember seeing you around the halls with your friend." There was a long pause. "Is this about your friend, Iroha?"

At the sound of her name, Yukari broke down completely, sobbing into the tissues as the story poured from her lips in bits and pieces and slurred, muffled words. Rion dug out more tissues from the pocket on her apron.

"It's okay," she murmured when she finally understood Yukari's situation. After a moment of thought, she said, "I might not be Iroha… but if you don't mind, could I be your friend? Just until you two make up. I'm sure it will help, even if it's just a little bit."

Yukari didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to reply or react. But the suggestion sounded harmless and sincere, so she simply nodded, and continued to sob.

As for Rion, she had never felt joy more overwhelming than that moment when she finally made her first friend in Vocaloid Academy.

Even if it's temporary.

 **~o*o~**

Iroha's heart was about to burst in anger. Her face was redder than her hair, her golden eyes filled with untamed ire and barely suppressed wrath. Her expression was more murderous than a feral feline, and there was a dangerous aura around her that made people avoid her like the plague.

And everything was because of _that. Little. Backstabber._

Iroha saw her smile, and laugh in that gentle way of hers, but it wasn't with her. It was with another girl whose face she doubts she had even seen before! She just dumped her and ran off and got herself another best friend! What the hell?!

But there wasn't much Iroha could do. She didn't know what to do.

So all she did was stalk down the halls, out the building, and back into her dorm room.

And isolated from all others, she seethed.

 **Please Review! Thank you!**


	22. Unhappy Confrontation

**Vocaloid Academy**

 **Unhappy Confrontation**

Time passed. Days blurred into weeks. Iroha and Yukari did not make up with each other.

In every class, they requested the teacher to change the seating arrangement, so they did not have to sit with each other. During lunch, they sat at opposite ends of the cafeteria. And when they were put together as a team for a history project… Iroha did the entire thing all by herself, and jotted down Yukari's name before she turned it in. When they were put together again for a science project, Yukari did the entire thing alone, and attached Iroha's name down before turning it as well. Not a single word was said to each other during the entire time.

And it was like this for what seemed like forever.

Until that one day. It was so dumb, it was so stupid, but it literally gutted Iroha in the heart.

"Jekyll and Hyde is so boring!"

Iroha glared at the two girls sitting across from her in the cafeteria. They were very loud.

"I know, right? I mean I read the summary. It sounds so cool. But the second you read it, it's so hard to understand I can't even appreciate the cool stuff inside," the first girl continued.

The other girl smiled sweetly. "It can't be that bad. Or at least for me, it was all right. I mean, once you read it a few times, you get the hang of it, and it actually becomes more bearable…"

Iroha swallowed a lump in her throat. She and Yukari had to read _the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ the year before. And the scary thing? They had the same stupid argument. She had ranted about how stupid the book was, while Yukari, so mild and kind…

Iroha stood up with so much force her orange juice spilled across the table, causing the girls on the other end to squeal and jump up.

"What's your problem?" the first one yelled.

Iroha whirled away from them, dumping her tray.

"Wow, she's rude," the second girl murmured, but Iroha heard her. And the words stung.

Iroha stormed out of the cafeteria. And despite everything, for a moment, her walls she kept so tightly around herself started to crack. Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed them shut tightly. If anyone caught her sobbing, she'd be labeled as a crybaby for the rest of her life. All she needed was a good, quiet corner to bawl her eyes out and calm down before returning back, cold and stoic.

Iroha turned to the library. There was a study group there. She went to the bathrooms. A group of friends were in the middle of a gossip session and practically chased her away with a chorus of hisses.

The waterworks were really coming now. Iroha was in full sprint as she tore out of the school, risking one quick swipe at her eyes. Her entire hand came away wet and sticky from her tears.

And… what was that? Iroha squinted. There was a small cafe before her. For a moment, Iroha wondered why in the world she hadn't found that yet. It was the perfect definition of homeliness, warm and welcoming. It seemed like the perfect place to study quietly, read a good book, or even have a cup of coffee with friends… if only she had any.

Iroha headed there immediately. Her feet crunched on the crisp leaves. Soon, she was facing the wooden door in front of her. Without knocking, she opened it and walked in.

"No freaking way!" Iroha blurted.

The interior of the cafe was even lovelier than the outside. The room smelled like freshly ground coffee and cinnamon rolls, and the chairs would have won some serious comfortable awards, but oh no. Oh, no. Was that stinking little brat trying to ruin everything for her?

There she was. Yukari was sitting behind a wooden bar, cradling a mug of coffee while chatting with a pretty dark-haired girl. Both of them were in the middle of laughing when she burst in. And it was almost comical, how quickly Yukari's smile vanished while the other girl continued to chuckle.

"Iroha?" Yukari stuttered, her hands shaking. The mug of coffee spilled all over the bar, dripping off the polished wood.

Iroha swore. Then, she turned around and ran.

Because yes, Yukari really did ruin everything for her.

* * *

"Wow, that was intense," Rion commented quietly. But Yukari didn't hear a single thing. Her ears were still ringing from Iroha's outburst, and her heart was still hammering wildly in her chest, frantic and terrified.

"Yukari, are you all right?" Rion asked concernedly.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Yukari said. Her voice cracked at the very end.

"No, you're not." Rion said sternly. "Was that Iroha?"

Yukari felt her eyes burning. Despite herself, a little tear dripped down from her eyes.

"Yes," she choked out.

"Oh…" Rion said. She shifted awkwardly for a moment. Then, Rion grabbed Yukari's hand and led her to a small table where they sat down on opposite ends, facing each other. "What happened?"

Yukari gulped. Even her spit tasted bitter and dry. All Rion knew was that she had an argument with a friend, but Rion didn't know what had happened. Yukari didn't want to unearth buried memories, but at the same time, Rion had been so helpful and kind.

So Yukari opened her mouth, and everything spilled out in a rushing wave. The misunderstanding, the argument, the anger and pain… every feeling and every thought was soon laid out before her. And… to her immense surprise, it came out almost easily. When Yukari first started telling her story, it was more like an obligation, a way of repaying Rion's kindness. But after the first few sentences, it was like talking to a friend. It was as easy as talking to Iroha, before they were angry at each other, of course.

For a moment, Yukari expected Rion to frown and judge. But Rion's face was always kind and concerned. Rion didn't comment or say any nasty things. It was perfect.

"It's all my fault," Yukari sobbed. "I shouldn't have gone there to sit with them…"

Rion got up from her chair and walked over. Yukari gasped a bit when Rion hugged her tightly, and then proceeded to cry.

"It's all right," Rion said, patting her back. "There, there. It's all right. It's not your fault. It's just a misunderstanding. It's all right."

A fresh wave of tears spilled over. Yukari knew she was probably ruining Rion's shirt with her snot and tears, but Rion didn't complain. And that was when Yukari realized how truly lucky she was to have such an amazing friend.

"I should get back to my dorms." Yukari said, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for any longer?" Rion asked.

"It's fine. I gotta finish my homework anyway," Yukari sniffed. "Thank you so much for helping me through this. You're the best friend ever."

"Thanks." Rion said. Her lips trembled with emotion, but she hid it very well.

Yukari smiled weakly before leaving. It had been a long day.


	23. A Fruitless Search

**A Fruitless Search**

Rion knew that there was something seriously wrong. Yukari might've said she was fine, but it was obvious that she wasn't.

After taking off the apron and throwing it on the bench in the changing room, Rion scribbled a note telling her boss that she wasn't feeling well and left first, and immediately rushed out.

Yukari had disappeared: back to her dorm, probably, but she wasn't the person Rion was looking for.

She was looking for Iroha.

 _It'll be awkward,_ her mind warned, _Iroha probably hates you for 'stealing' her friend, so you shouldn't go find her just yet. Give her some time to cool down._

 _I know,_ she answered to herself, _but I don't feel like there's much time left. This has to be dealt with as soon as possible._

Rion wasn't familiar with Iroha: she didn't know where the red-haired girl could be. So all she could do was comb through the entire school, which is about as easy as getting into the Number One School in the entire world.

She scanned through the heads in the cafeteria, peeked into the rows between the bookshelves in the library, checked several classrooms, the student lounge area, many of the little stores and restaurants situated inside the school, and yet, there was no Iroha. The redhead probably returned to her dorm room, which makes life much harder for Rion, because one, she doesn't know where her room is, and two because that means it's easier for Iroha to slam a door in her face.

Rion was trudging towards the bookstore for another confirmation when two people bumped past her. One girl had extremely long, white blonde hair with two small braids on each side, while the other girl had short green hair. They chatted and laughed, and something about them rang a bell in Rion's head.

When Yukari was telling her about her situation, she mentioned something about two girls inviting her to lunch… Something about a girl named Gumi, and another named IA…

"Hey, wait!"

Gumi and IA turned simultaneously, blinking at Rion.

"Can we help you?" the green-haired girl asked.

"I just want to ask if you guys, uh…" Rion swallowed. "Um, did you happen to see Iroha Nekomura?"

"Iroha?" IA frowned lightly, her expression thoughtful. "Isn't that the girl with the cat helmet?"

Gumi furrowed her brows. "I think she shares a study hall with me."

"Yes," Rion nodded frantically. "She's a close friend of Yukari Yuzuki's. I'm searching for her."

"Yukari…?" Gumi's bright green eyes lit up, then her expression fell. "Oh, didn't Yukari and Iroha…"

"Get into a fight?" IA finished.

"What are you looking for Iroha for?" Gumi turned back to Rion.

"Is this about Yukari?" IA added.

"Well," Rion was really rushed: she shouldn't be sparing time for this, "Yukari is very upset, and I just want to help her…"

"Yes, Yukari is quite nice, isn't she?" Gumi nodded. "That time, we only invited Yukari over to our table because she had seemed really nice and everything, and we told her to call along Iroha, but it must've slipped her mind."

"And so, this mess erupts," IA sighed.

"We can help you look for Iroha," Gumi suggested. "We're not very busy today, and I think we passed her some time ago in the cafeteria."

"And well, this was kind of basically our fault in the first place." IA smiled sheepishly.

There was a short few seconds of awkward laughter, before Gumi said, "I know where Iroha's dorm is, so I'll search there. I'll check the stores while I'm at it."

"I'll go to the parks and apartment areas," IA volunteered. "You, uh… what's your name?"

Rion blinked. "Um, Rion Tone."

"Okay, Rion, maybe you can go search the school buildings again?"

She shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

IA gave her a small smile, and with a quick decision of a meeting place: at the big fountain in front of the school campus, the three girls went on in their separate ways.

Three hours later, they were sitting by the fountain, licking at the ice cream cones that Gumi had bought from a nearby shop.

"Well, so much for that," Rion sighed, looking dejected.

"Where could she possibly be?" IA stared at her vanilla ice cream. "She might not even be inside the school boundaries in the first place!"

"I hear that her parents don't actually live that far away," Gumi said, licking her mint- flavored chocolate. "Only a few bus stops away."

"Would she skip school?" IA looked horrified.

"Not like I really care if she does," Gumi muttered. "But this is seriously strange. Where could she be?"


	24. Emotions

**Vocaloid Academy**

 **Emotion**

Iroha tore out of the wretched café, staggering into the woods. She tripped over the tangles of roots and weeds on the mossy floor, but she kept on running. Hot tears dripped down her face, and angrily, she paused to wipe the worst of it off before running again. But of course, those tears kept on coming, blurring her vision, and she finally stopped stumbling around when she ran right into a massive tree. In addition to her puffy eyes and running nose, she had a welt growing out of her forehead too. Iroha felt like crying even more.

Ahead, Iroha heard the sound of rustling water. She glanced up, and ahead of her, there was the lake, the pristine surface glittering under the delicate shafts of sunlight shining through the trees. She dragged herself down to the banks of the river, sitting down heavily on a log. Tears started burning her eyes again, but she held her breath, forcing herself not to cry. She would not cry. She was stronger than that. She wasn't some typical girly girl that burst into tears when stupid friends…

There was a sharp whistling sound, almost like something that was cutting through the air. Iroha glanced back, and shrieked.

It was an axe, its head gleaming wickedly as it hurtled towards her, spinning faster and faster as it sliced through the breeze. Iroha screamed as she tore down, landing flat on a bed of moldy leaves, scuttling away from the dangerous weapon. There was a splash as the axe landed in the water, sending a spray of droplets into the air.

Iroha got up, sitting back on her haunches as she scanned the forest. Was someone trying to murder her?

For a moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then, a shadowy figure emerged from the trees. Squinting, Iroha made out locks of silky white-blond hair, a delicate figure, an elegant black dress, and a light smile.

"Mayu?" Iroha croaked.

Mayu didn't look at Iroha. She skipped to the edge of the lake, her feet padding silently over the forest floor, and it didn't take her long to reach the edge of the lake. Iroha thought that Mayu would just turn back, but instead, Mayu splashed right into the water, bending down and sticking her hands and arms into the lake. After a minute or two of stirring up clouds of dirt and muck, Mayu finally stood up triumphantly, her axe grasped tightly in her hands.

Then, Mayu glanced over, and for the first time, seemed to notice Iroha, who was openly gaping with shock. Mayu's smile widened as she emerged from the lake, gliding over and plopping down right next to her, dropping the axe between them. The tip of the axe brushed against Iroha's legs, and unconsciously, she shivered.

A cool breeze fluttered by, stirring the leaves in the trees. Ripples spread across the surface of the lake as frogs played in the waters.

"You've been crying." Mayu noted.

"Hm?" Iroha brushed her face. Her cheekbones were still sticky, but dry. Her nose had stopped running, and hopefully, her eyes were slightly less puffy. "No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were." Mayu said simply.

"No…"

"Hey," Mayu glanced at Iroha seriously. "Crying isn't embarrassing. It's a good way to let out your emotions. It means that you have emotions, and it means that those emotions are telling the truth. You should always listen to the truth."

"Um… all right?" Iroha said. One on hand, she wanted to laugh. Come on, they're living in the twenty-first freaking century! Inspirational speeches were for storybooks and children, not for high schoolers! But at the same time, Iroha had to agree that in a way, Mayu's words did make a bit of sense… if Iroha could understand it. Honestly, all those twisty little words got her really confused.

"Wait, could you repeat that or something? I didn't really get it." Iroha said.

Mayu's shoulders slumped, and she sighed. She stood up, brushed some dead leaves off her skirts, and walked away. The trees soon swallowed up her lithe form, but before she was entirely gone, Iroha heard Mayu murmur, "So many problems at this school… it's like the modern Downton Abbey."

After that, she was gone.

Iroha felt lonely, but Mayu's words circled around her head. For a moment, Iroha just sat there, thinking. What did Mayu mean by emotions telling the truth? She understood that it's good to let out your emotions, but… at the same time…

The sun glided over the sky, and appeared at the other side of the like. The sky was soon pained in streaks of gold and orange, the pale eggshell blues turning into darker hues as evening made its way onto the stage. The temperature continued to drop, and soon, Iroha had her jacket shrugged over her shoulders to keep out the chill.

Suddenly, there was a shout behind her.

"Nekomura!"


	25. Are a Rainbow

**Emotions are a Rainbow**

Iroha was perfectly content to ignore the three girls following close at her heels. The three of them were stumbling over each other, speaking at the same time, and generally trying to make her life even more miserable. Their words were nothing but excuses.

And even though their apologies were brushed away by Iroha like it was nothing but a pesky bug, certain words registered and stuck; words of tears, regrets, stories, mistakes… They struck a chord somewhere deep inside her soul, and it wouldn't stop reverberating, till many, many notes were hovering in the air, and her ears were filled with music.

It was like nothing she had heard before, nothing like the songs she had sang; these songs were sadder, softer, quieter, and Iroha was ashamed that it took her so long to finally realize that these songs were Yukari's.

The three girls chattered on behind her, their words weaving and twisting into a story of pity and desperation and stupid mistakes. A story of ignorance and forgotten words falling to deaf ears.

And then the music spiraled into vibrant, beautiful colors, tinted with insanity and madness, and Iroha suddenly remembered what that axe-wielding girl had said, _'…emotions are telling the truth. You should always listen to the truth.'_

She understood.

At first, she had been puzzled, but slowly, the mystery unraveled, and now she understood.

Iroha has to listen. Not just to that music echoing inside of her, but to the world around her. Listen to the words first, then place them into the song. Give the melody some lyrics, and then follow the notes – follow the truth. Follow your emotions.

She didn't know when she had started crying, and she didn't know when the sun had fallen asleep. The world around her was dark and quiet: the girls behind her had stopped talking, but they didn't stop tailing after her. Iroha was glad their surroundings were too dark for them to see her tears, but she was sure they could hear it in her unsteady breaths and unsure steps.

So she started running.

Four pairs of feet pounding against the ground, out the forest, through the courtyard, past the buildings and cafeteria filled with chattering students, wind ripping at her face and brushing away the dampness. Iroha ripped into the dormitory, very nearly losing her followers, but they managed to catch up.

They thought she was going back to her dorm, and it disgusted her slightly that they thought they were following her there, but she wasn't. She had a different destination in mind.

The girls' dormitories had red carpeted floors, muffling their footsteps, and smooth, white walls. Lights kept at an equal pace lit up their way, and doors flashed past them, their numbers ignored. But Iroha didn't need the numbers to find the room she was looking for. She had been there so many times she knew the number of steps it took to get there, and she knew every twist and turn.

Iroha knew her too well, and she knew everything. They were on the same hallway now, and with a small burst of speed, Iroha reached the room first, hand closing around the knob, twisting, and-

Just as she expected, the door swung open. Yukari had a habit of forgetting to lock her doors, and though she had improved, the bad habit still acted up from time to time.

Iroha rushed into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it before anyone else could enter. Outside, three breathless, confused voices conversed, and hands knocked, twisted the knob, but Rion, IA, and Gumi had been locked out.

For one moment, Iroha felt a surge of satisfaction and pride… _"Iroha?"_ but then it all came shattering down when she heard that voice. Right, she still had this other matter in hand.

The cat-loving girl turned around slowly to face Yukari, who had obviously been crying. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hair mussed up, and she hugged a stuffed animal close to her chest.

Iroha tried to speak, but found that she couldn't, and when she finally forced herself to, the conversation did not go exactly the way she had wanted, because the first word out of her mouth was, "Sorry."

Obviously, Yukari hadn't been expecting that either, because her expression morphed into one of pleasant surprise.

And then everything spilled. Iroha was running out of breath as she rambled, not sure what exactly she was talking about, but knew that it must've been complete gibberish.

What Iroha remembered clearly was that Yukari wasn't in a much better state than she was. She had no idea what she was saying, and their words overlapped and stumbled so much the entire conversation was merely an exchange of random, sappy words.

Iroha was the first to stop talking, and she let Yukari continue for two more broken sentences before she flung her arms around the violet-haired girl, and both of them broke down sobbing.

She didn't even know why she was crying.

Then Yukari said in her weak, cracked voice, "Do you remember that time you tried to become a cat?"

And then Iroha just couldn't cry anymore, so she threw back her head and began to laugh. Soon enough, Yukari was giggling as well, and they didn't stop until they were curled up on the floor, clutching their stomachs and wheezing out the last of their laughter.

It was only after they calmed down did they hear the pounding and shouting outside the door, and both of them rushed to get it, throwing it open to find three very frazzled girls.

That night, it rained.

But the next morning, a beautiful rainbow had arched over the Vocaloid Academy's buildings, welcoming the newly repaired group of friends into its front gates.

 **Please R &R!**


	26. Buried Pasts

**Vocaloid Academy**

 **Buried Pasts**

It was a really ordinary Saturday. In the morning, Len was busy punching at his video game while Rin organized her dressing table, rearranging her makeup and accessories. After a few hours of playing around, they headed out for lunch. After lunch, they went for their usual Saturday walks. Walking after a meal is really good for you. Sitting down directly after you eat would make you fat. Exercising would get you a stomachache. But on weekdays, they're rushing off to classes after eating, and guess what do you do in class? You sit.

Len couldn't care less about the eating and walking arrangements and whatnot. But again, he's a boy. Boys don't get fat. It doesn't matter if Len ate an entire pizza for lunch and sat for the next ten hours. He wouldn't gain a fraction of a kilo. But Rin on the other hand… Rin shuddered to think about what would happen to her if she ever did that. As a result, Saturday became their exercising day, when she would drag Len out for hour-long walks to burn off extra calories.

She actually mapped out several routes. Sometimes, they'd be circling the school compounds. Other times, they'd be visiting the lake. Today, Rin wanted to explore the forests.

They strode out into the lazy afternoon. Students were sprawled across the courtyards, basking in the sun as they finished their homework. Some had their lunches out, eating them while watching videos. Rin and Len crossed the clearings, passing a little coffee shop before plunging deep into the greenery.

The forest was cooler than the outside, and the scenery was stunning. Birds twittered from trees, the leaves crunching under their feet, and paths of sunlight streaming from the skies.

"It's beautiful, isn't…. ah… ouch!" Rin stumbled onto something sharp. She staggered forward, but Len grasped onto her arm, stopping her before she fell onto her face.

"Are you all right?" Len said anxiously.

Rin brushed herself off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. What is it?"

She squatted down on the forest floor. Something glinted, and she brushed back some earth. It looked like a small patch of bronze.

"I don't know." Len got down beside her. He shuddered.

Rin continued to brush off the leaves and dirt. The small patch of bronze widened, soon turning into a gleaming hilt.

"Is it a knife?" Rin asked eagerly, not caring about how dirty her hands might be. "Help me, Len! Let's get it out."

"A-are you sure?" Len stuttered. "It's a knife. It's dangerous. We should leave it buried, so people don't get stabbed…"

"Don't be scared!" Rin scoffed. "We're not kindergarteners. We know how to handle knifes and stuff. Come on, help me get it out."

Reluctantly, Len started picking at the soil. Either way, Rin was doing most of the work. Seriously, why was Len so afraid of it? It's not like the knife is going to come to life and start hacking his head off.

After a good ten minutes of digging, they finally got it out. It wasn't a knife. It was a sword, at least three feet long, stained with earth, but it still looked good. The edge looked pretty sharp, and you don't have to be a blacksmith to tell that it's made of some seriously high-quality metal.

"Cool," Rin said slowly. "Come on, let's bring it back to our dorms."

"Our dorms?" Len blurted, fiddling with his tie nervously. "Don't you think that's dangerous? What if people see us with it? They're going to think that we're murderers!"

"Hey, you're being ridiculous." Rin felt very annoyed. All right, Len could be kind of timid and nervous and easily scared sometimes, but he was just being really stupid now. She picked up the sword easily. Len scuttled back like a mouse.

Striding ahead, Rin headed out of the woods and into the buildings. The sun was now hidden behind a thick cloud, and reluctantly, the students outside started heading indoors. Rin slipped into the structure through the back door and back to their room, with Len scurrying behind.

Rin tossed the sword down onto a table and rushed to the bathroom, picking up a towel and soaking it in a bit of water before returning. Deftly, she picked up the sword and started shining it, wiping off the grime.

"What are we going to do now?" Len fretted. He rummaged through a stack of old books, fishing out the Vocaloid Academy Student Handbook. "Look! The handbook says that harboring dangerous objects are strictly not allowed!"

Rin snorted. "Mayu drags around a freaking axe to all of her classes, and nobody cares."

Len opened his mouth to protest, but shut it quickly. It's going to be pretty hard to defend that rule when a student is openly flaunting and getting away with it in broad daylight.

There was a knock on the door. Len scrambled to his feet and opened it, revealing a beaming Miku.

"Hello!" Len said, relief evident in his voice. "Miku, you have to help me! Rin wants to keep this scary sword!"

"It's not scary," Rin growled.

"A sword?" Miku said curiously. She stepped in and peered at it. "Cool! Where'd you find it?"

"In the woods," Rin answered. She held it up, the metal gleaming. "Looks pretty sweet, huh?"

"It's terrifying," Len insisted.

"He's just being a scaredy-cat," Rin said dismissively.

Miku frowned. "Rin, you do realize that you're not allowed to keep dangerous objects at school, right?"

"Yes!" Len whooped. "She supports me! We have to get rid of it!"

Rin scowled. "Tell that to Mayu and at least half of the school."

"Well…" Miku hesitated. "I'm just saying that maybe we should keep it, but we should keep it hidden and secret. Don't let anyone know about it for the time being. I mean, you guys might have discovered something really cool, and we might not even know about it. If we show it around, people might try to steal it, and teachers might try to confiscate it. Maybe we should do a bit of research first, and then show it to others?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Len said.

Rin nodded. It made sense. "All right. Let this be our little secret, then."


	27. Dug Out

**Dug Out**

Kaito decided that university was the very definition of torture.

He thought he was going to a music school! He was supposed to be studying music! And yes, most of his courses were music courses, but somehow, he was still stuck doing a research about _weapons_ of all things. Medieval weapons, especially, so basically just clunky metal spears and swords. They had to present it, and it was due _two days later_ and Kaito just started.

Procrastination is such a deadly sin.

So that was why he, Kaito, one of the top eight Elites, star singer of the Academy, is stuck in Study Hall, trying to concentrate on his research.

But really, he just wasn't _made_ for this! All these clunky metal parts and clumsy defense – he was a luxurious person, and glorified in it. No, weaponry, _especially_ medieval weaponry, did not interest him whatsoever.

After letting loose the fifth groan in the fourteen minutes he had started working on his project, Miku, who, even though was younger than him, shared the same Study Hall block as him, looked up from her math problems and turned around to check on him with a concerned expression.

"What is it?" she whispered, careful not to disturb the other working students.

"Stupid project life threw in my direction." Kaito was less courteous, and he gestured rudely at his computer. "Useless, boring, insignificant little piece of-"

"What is the project about?" Miku – thankfully – cut him off before he could get vulgar.

"Weaponry," Kaito answered, scowling at the glowing screen in front of him, resisting the urge to smash it in because, really, it wasn't his lovely computer's fault.

Miku, strangely enough, was immediately interested, and she turned his computer around so she could read the websites he opened. "Ooh, Medieval weaponry…"

"Yes, and utterly-"

"I can help."

There was a moment of silence as Kaito pondered over the words, but then-

"No, no, it's okay. It's my project." _You're younger than me too._ In the end, gentility and pride made him reject the offer.

"No, I insist." Miku was stubborn when she wanted to be. "I can get the facts down for you, you can put it into the essay, and for your presentation, Rin and Len have-" And then she stopped, horror dawning onto her face like she had said something unforgivable. "I mean," she stuttered a correction, but didn't know how to put an obvious lie into words.

"What?" Kaito was growing more and more curious by the second as Miku's face turned red. "What about Rin and Len?"

"They…" she struggled, but was unable to find a way out of Kaito's persistent pestering. "They have a sword."

Kaito blinked in surprise. Of all things… why would they own a sword?

"I think they found it somewhere, but they kept it and well, for a moment, I thought that maybe you could use it for your presentation…" Her voice became softer and smaller with each word said, until it faded completely.

"That's awesome, Miku!" Heads turned, and Kaito coughed embarrassedly, settling back into his seat under the stern glare of their proctor, and repeated, this time in a smaller tone of voice, "That's a wonderful idea, Miku!"

The blunette was blushing, for reasons unknown to Kaito, and she stammered, "I-It's nothing, Kaito. B-But we'd have to ask-" and then she winced a little.

"Of course we'll ask!" Kaito seemed completely oblivious to her discomfort. "Do you mind coming with me?"

"No, of course not…"

"Thank you so much!" Kaito was overjoyed. He might still be able to get a decent grade on this project, and that sword the Kagamine twins owned was definitely going to help him. He was just going to borrow it for one day, maybe even less, for his presentation, and it's not like Kaito was particularly violent or homicidal: how much harm could it do?

 **~o*o~**

Much to Miku's further disgruntlement, Meiko caught up with them after class, immediately latching onto Kaito and asking about their destination. Kaito explained everything without hesitation, while Miku walked next to them, her insides slowly withering from the guilt gnawing at her. She had been so eager to help she'd completely forgotten about the promise she made to the twins to keep the sword a secret until it was too late…

Rin and Len's reactions made everything even worse.

Usually, the twins were already very alike. There were barely any difference in their height, and with some manipulation, they could sport the same hairstyles and talk in nearly the same voice, and even without them _trying_ to be identical, they were too similar for their own good.

When Kaito explained his purpose of standing in front of the twins' shared dorm, their similar faces went through the exact same routine of expressions, emotions flashing past in unison: surprise, shock, wonder, confusion, uncertainty, horror, and finally, betrayal. The last one had been directed at Miku, two furious glares aimed towards her, and she had never wanted to die so badly. It wasn't like it was actually a big deal though, now that she thought about it, but it was still horrible knowing you've broken a promise because you were too stupid and forgetful and couldn't guard your own tongue.

"Fine," the twins finally huffed in unison, still unhappy, but didn't see too much harm in the situation. Miku was relieved, because that meant the twins didn't think it was too bad either, and she'd more likely be forgiven like this. "When is your presentation?"

"Sometime on Thursday or Friday," was the answer. "I'll tell you when it's confirmed."

They nodded stiffly, and was about to spin around and march back into their tiny apartment when Kaito added, "May I see it first?"

The twins, now that they've already agreed to let him use it, was more resigned and agreed, so Miku, Kaito, and Meiko all piled into the room to marvel over an old, dangerous piece of metal.

Rin and Len brought it out of their room, handling it with extreme care. "Careful," they even warned as they passed it over.

Kaito took it, giddy like an overgrown baby. He raised it, holding it in one hand, and gawking like he was seeing a celebrity walk into his front lawn. "How in the name of God did you get this thing?" he whispered, awed.

The twins didn't bother to answer. They didn't really know, and it didn't really matter. The weapon was harmless as long as it didn't land in the wrong hands.

 **~o*o~**

Something was burning beneath her skin.

It felt like fire, but it was cold, and it was slick and oily and _disgusting_. She wanted to scream, and claw at her skin, and tear it open so that the _something_ could leak out of her and pool away.

The sword was a hideous afterimage of the glory of what it used to be. The jewels on its hilt was gone, the metal eroded and twisted, the blade blunt and rusted and completely useless other than to lie on a velvet pillow or be strapped onto a wall and by stared and marveled over in a museum.

It made her want to weep; it made her want to laugh. It made her want to scream.

There were two identical faces in front of her: identical appearances, identical expressions, identical voices, identical eyes, ears, noses, mouths, _colors-_

"Let me see," Meiko said.

And somehow, she was still smiling; somehow, her voice was still working. Somehow, when she held that familiar metal blade in her hands, those identical mouths didn't erupt into identical screams and the identical heads didn't roll.

Everything was dyed red, then yellow, then blue, and she was suffocating, or she was breathing too much, and the world was too hot, or too cold, or too loud, or too quiet, or peaceful, or-

She was drowning in voices. Screams.

War.

Starving children. Weeping mothers. Men dropping like flies. Full battalions clashing, and she was drowning in a sea of blood, of corpses, of sin, and it was _war_.

The world was stained black.


	28. Past Grudges

**Past Grudges**

"Meiko! Meiko!" Rin yelled.

Meiko was perfectly all right one moment ago – standing there, smiling, the sword held almost expertly in her hands… then, she crumpled down, the sword falling down on the wooden floors, and hacking a big chunk out of the planks too. Everyone was so relieved that the sword didn't actually fall onto her.

Kaito was the first to react, rushing forward and cradling Meiko's head in his lap as he shook her gently, trying to wake her up. Miku had drifted over slowly, her smile laced with a bit of pain. Rin felt her entire body go numb with shock, but she snapped out of it quickly, hurrying over as well.

"Is she all right? Is she breathing?" Rin asked anxiously.

Kaito felt for a pulse. "She's still breathing. What happened?"

"I don't know!" Rin said. "Len! Call the ambulance…"

"No!" Miku said harshly. "We can't call the authorities?"

"Why not?" Len said, bewildered.

Miku flushed. "They'll want to know why we're all here, and if they're going to search the dorms, and they're going to find the sword, and we're all going to get into trouble!"

"But what else do you expect us to do?" Rin wailed. "We don't know anything…"

"Everybody shut up!" Kaito yelled. Everyone shut up immediately. Kaito was usually really chill, but when he got mad, _he got mad_. Rin and Len shrank into a corner, and Miku practically wilted in shame.

"I'm sorry, all right, I'm sorry…" Kaito said, his voice calmer. He took a deep breath. "Meiko doesn't live in the Academy – she has her own apartment outside the school grounds, which is too far, so we can't take her back to her place. Let's place her on the bed first – Rin, you don't mind? Good. I'll need a bit of help. Len, you're stronger. Can you get her legs?"

Len picked up Meiko's feet, and after a moment of hauling, they managed to arrange Meiko onto Rin's bed. With the floral covers on, Rin thought Meiko looked a bit like Sleeping Beauty… who smelled faintly of alcohol.

"Next, we'll call the ambulance…"

"Kaito, my phone just ran out of batteries…"

 **~o*o~**

Meiko cracked open her eyes. Everything was really blurry, dancing colors and shapes. She was also really warm, and it felt like she was wrapped in a cocoon. As her vision cleared, her hearing came back full force, and she winced. Blast it, she'd going to raid her liquor cabinet once she got home…

"What do you mean your phone ran out of batteries?" a strong male voice yelled.

"Don't you have a charger?" a gentler voice, probably from a teenage girl. "I have one here, if you need it…"

"Oh my gosh, Len! I told you to…" this time, it came from another teenage girl, her voice harsher…

Meiko snapped awake, lurching up. She knew that voice. She definitely knew that voice.

Suddenly, she was back, this time in a square full of screaming people, the same voice standing over them, laughing and laughing as blood rained down from the skies, spilling onto the streets, mountains of corpses and despair…

Meiko staggered, a splitting headache tearing her mind apart.

"Meiko! Are you all right?" the man hurried over, helping her up. Meiko kicked aside the blankets weakly, and saw… Kaito?

Relief – blissful, beautiful relief swept over her, chasing away the visions. For one wonderful moment, everything was perfect now that he was here.

"Kaito," Meiko choked out.

"Yes, yes, it's ok, I'm here…" Kaito said reassuringly, patting her shoulders. Meiko sighed in relief, glancing around her. Standing awkwardly beside the bed was Miku, but across the room, squabbling quietly with each other were two very familiar blonds…

Hatred – burning, boiling, furious hatred reared, slamming into her like a tidal wave. The relief was like a leaf blown away in a hurricane. The crowds, the fear, the blood, the death came rushing back, overwhelming her senses, tearing her mind apart.

Meiko was on her feet, the sword back in her hands, the worn handle familiar and comforting as she lashed towards the twins. They screamed, their eyes filling with surprise and fear, scuttling back. Good. It was their turn to experience what they have caused, to have a taste of the fact that their death was coming, and this time, they were not going to escape.

"Kaito!" Rin shrieked, darting towards them. "Miku, help!"

Meiko let out a harsh, wild laugh. As if they were going to help! They had suffered more than anyone else under their selfish, tyrannical rule…

Strong, firm hands grasped onto her arms, holding her back. She struggled, her sword swinging, but there was a crack as Miku smacked a book onto her wrist, forcing her to drop the sword.

"Let me go!" Meiko screamed. "They deserve to die! They need to die!"

"Miku, give me the book!" Kaito yelled.

"What?" Meiko gasped, kicking. She wriggled an arm out of Kaito's grasp, but before she could tug the other one out, there was a bright streak of pain across her skull, and the darkness came for her again.

 **~o*o~**

"Dammit, what happened?" Miku gasped.

"I don't know," Kaito panted, lowering the book. Rin and Len huddled into a corner, shivering.

Meiko was unconscious on the floor, bleeding from a little cut. The sword gleamed wickedly, almost as if it was actually hungry for blood.

"We are so screwed," Len moaned.

Rin agreed full-heartedly with that.


	29. Unforgiving

**Unforgiving**

"What happened that made you guys look so traumatized?" asked Akita Neru, flipping her long side ponytail over her shoulder. She frowned when the twins shook their heads, but allowed them into their apartment anyway. Neru's younger brother, Nero, was in front of the television, concentrated on a video game that involved lots of blood and guts and guns. He looked up briefly when they entered, crinkled his nose in Len's direction, and continued to ignore them.

"Don't mind him," Neru said, still frowning. "Do you want something to drink? Eat?"

The twins refused the biscuits, but graciously accepted the cups of water. They were strangely distracted, Neru noticed. Nervous glances, filled with a worried type of trepidation, kept passing between them, which made her even more curious, but decided not to ask.

"So," she said instead, "how's your new album coming out?"

Rin and Len looked relieved, and the sister replied, "It's going pretty smoothly. We've got most of the recording done. It's mostly just editing now."

"And the album pictures," Len remembered with a groan. "The part I hate the most."

"It's not that bad," the two girls argued, while Nero snorted quietly.

The casual conversation continued, the topics jumping around quickly in an entertaining manner, until it was nearly dusk, and someone was knocking on the door for the second time that day.

Neru went to greet their visitor, and the twins heard a familiar voice when the door opened. "Is Rin and Len still with you?"

"Kaito!" Both of them leapt up from the couch, scurrying to the front door and hastily stuffing their feet into their shoes.

"Is something wrong?" Neru inquired, still puzzled by their strange reactions throughout the day.

"No, no," Rin answered a bit too quickly. "Just, uh… our album stuff!" And then the three of them were gone and out the building before Neru could realize that she had been lying.

The blonde girl shrugged and swung the door shut. It's probably none of her business, after all.

 **~o*o~**

"What happened?" Len asked.

"How's Meiko?" Rin blurted out at the same time.

Kaito's brows were furrowed in a deeply worried expression, which made the twins nervous.

"Meiko…" he began slowly, "woke up."

"That's good, right?" Rin was hesitant. And she was right, as Kaito shook his head.

"Did the two of you do anything to make Meiko made before?" asked Kaito tentatively.

The twins blinked in confusion. "No," Len replied. "Nothing that we recall."

The older student sighed, the creases between his brows growing deeper. "Yes, well, Meiko woke up, but it was strange," he admitted. "And honestly a little creepy. I'm still a little confused, but well, there's nothing we can do for now."

 **~o*o~**

"Kaito?"

The blue-haired man jerked out of his bored trance, snapping his eyes away from his history textbook where he had read the same line over and over again for nearly an hour now. It had been three hours since they had to knock Meiko out, and Miku had gone back to her dorm room. He rushed to the bedside, where the brunette had opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Meiko!" he gasped, worried. "Is there anything you want? Water?"

Meiko nodded slightly. "Water… would be nice."

So he fetched her a cup, slowly easing her into a sitting position. As she sipped at the lukewarm water, he frantically called Miku, and less than three minutes later, the blunette burst into the twins' apartment, now empty of the two blonde teenagers since they wanted to avoid a similar situation to what happened when Meiko woke for the first time.

"Are you okay?" Miku asked. When there wasn't a reply, she tried again, "Did something happen? What's wrong?"

Meiko spoke now, but it wasn't the answer they expected. "Where are they?" she asked, a growl laced into her words. "Tell me where they are!"

"Who?" Miku squeaked, jumping when the older woman shouted. "Rin and Len?"

" _Rin and Len?_ " Meiko imitated almost mockingly, looking disgusted. "Why do you speak as if they're your friends, as if you're close to them? What's wrong with you?"

"Meiko, what-"

"What is wrong with _you_?" Miku retorted, scowling. "Why are you so mad at the twins?"

Meiko swung her legs over the side of the bed so she was properly facing Miku, and she jabbed a finger in her direction. "Don't you remember what those bastards do to you?" she very nearly shrieked. "They murdered you, Miku! Betrayed you! How can you act as if- as if-"

"Meiko!" Kaito grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Meiko, what's wrong with you? Miku is perfectly alive; she's fine, we're all fine. Please, calm down!"

 **~o*o~**

"We managed to calm her down, and she went back to sleep. Still in your room," he added, and the twins both visibly deflated, "and judging by how much she suddenly seem to hate you, I suggest the two of you grab some things and go spend the night over at Miku's until Meiko is ready to move back to her own apartment. I'll stay with her tonight."

The twins readily agreed, and Kaito eased open the apartment door. Miku was sitting on a chair next to the bed, reading a book, and she looked up when they entered. She placed a finger on her lips, and the four of them began sneaking around, grabbing some clothes and necessities before Kaito settled in the chair that Miku had been sitting in, and the other three teenagers scurried out, heading towards the girl's dormitory.

"Let's just pray that the authorities don't catch you in there," Miku elbowed Len teasingly, though half-heartedly. The twins agreed, chuckling weakly, and the spark of a possible conversation sputtered out as the three of them sighed in unison and wondered just what exactly they've gotten themselves into.


	30. Reburied Past

**Reburied Past**

It turned out that yes, she really _was_ too heavy for tree climbing, but she managed to scurry off that branch before it cracked. A strong gust of wind should be enough to knock it off the tree, but one thing for sure, Meiko was never, ever getting on a tree again.

Another thing she was sure about was that the rest of the gang was gathered at Miku's dormitory, and not Kaito's apartment, due to the fact that after two weeks of suddenly heavy university work, his place was barely habitable.

Drops of morning dew clung onto strands of grass and soaked into her shoes. The sun was only just waking up, yawning as he began to drive away the night chill. The campus was quiet in this wonderful Saturday morning: most people were sleeping in. But Miku had an alarm clock set for 6:30 every morning, and if Rin and Len were camping out with her, they'd probably all be awake already. The same couldn't be said with Kaito, however.

After hanging out with them for so long, she was familiar with the route to Miku's room, and true to her prediction, as she stood outside the dormitory door, she heard voices speaking rapidly but quietly inside.

"But the teacher said…"

"No… that doesn't seem right. Where are you going?"

"...can stay here. I'm going to go check up on Meiko." The last voice was Miku's, followed by swift, purposeful footsteps before the door swung open with a click.

Miku froze.

"Good morning, Miku." Meiko offered her the kindest smile she could muster.

Miku opened and closed her mouth several times, speechless, blinking in bewilderment before choking out, "M-Meiko, what- how-?"

She answered with a shrug. "Turns out I _can_ climb trees after all." No, she actually couldn't, but they didn't need to know that.

Meiko stepped into the tensely silent room. Rin and Len stared at her with identical wide, sky blue eyes from the coffee table in front of the television, their homework pages spread out across the surface. Uncertain fear was draped over their expressions as they shared a quick glance before their eyes darted right back to Meiko's approaching form, as if they were afraid she would suddenly try to kill them if they looked away long enough. Not to say that wasn't tempting, and Meiko could feel red-hot anger rising from the pit of her stomach at the mere sight of them.

But then she remembered Teto's words. This wasn't the seventeenth century. Rin wasn't a tyrant queen, Len wasn't her lapdog. Teto was alive, so was Miku, and Meiko – Meiko was a normal university student with a goofy boyfriend, and friends, and family, and they were in a new society, and they were all _good people_. It was difficult to wrap her head around the idea at first: her world seemed to have been turned completely upside down; but when she looked down at the two blondes nearly hanging onto each other in fear of painful demise, she realized how true it was.

Rin and Len watched as Meiko's borderline-thunderous expression soften into a mild frown.

"Stand up!" she barked suddenly.

Len nearly flipped the coffee table over in his haste to follow the order, while Rin allowed herself to be pulled up by her brother when her weak knees refused to support her.

When Meiko moved, she moved swiftly, and suddenly Rin found her pillar of support that was her brother suddenly vanishing as he crouched down, clutching his head from Meiko's not-so-gentle slap.

"Ow…" he moaned, rubbing the back of his head in genuine pain and messing up his small ponytail.

"That," Meiko declared, "was for Miku." The blue-haired girl gave a small sound of confusion.

Rin was sure that Meiko would slap her next, but instead, she felt a soft hand resting on top of her head, patting her gently. "And that's for Kaito."

"What?" Len's voice was impossibly shrill as he scowled up at the older student. "Why did _I_ get the slap?"

Meiko's response was an attempt of a kind, sympathetic smile that turned out more sadistic and wicked. "Well, Rin is too cute to be slapped, not to mention that she's a girl. But you… you, however… you're expendable."

And then she couldn't contain herself anymore. It was probably the immense relief of not being killed, but Rin found herself doubled over with laughter. Miku was quick to join, giggling behind her hand, while Meiko threw back her head and let out a booming laugh that made her seem drunk when she was probably sober. Len was the only one silent, sitting sullenly on the ground, rubbing his sore head.

"You guys are mean," he declared, but that only made them laugh harder.

"Um… excuse me?" a cautious voice called after a few uncertain knocks that had went unheard midst the laughter. The unlocked door was pushed open to reveal a familiar bluenette, his scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. "What's happening here? Why are you all-" His blue eyes widened dramatically, almost popping out of their sockets in surprise. " _Meiko?!"_

The brunette smirked at her boyfriend. "The one and only."

And then they continued laughing. Even Len cracked a smile when he saw the utter bewilderment on Kaito's face.

Other than Meiko, none of them were really sure what happened. Perhaps Meiko forgot about her sudden blood-thirst, perhaps she had been pretending the whole time. But it seemed like a clock had re-winded, and everything was whole and perfect again.

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and spring was arriving at its peak. It was a wonderful day for forgiveness, Meiko thought. She would probably never forget, but what's done is done. What's past is past. Perhaps it was an accident that Rin and Len unburied a rusty sword that had been so important to Meiko a long, long time ago, but maybe it was supposed to happen. She didn't care. It didn't matter anymore.

Because when the wound scabs over and heals, the skin would be even sturdier than before, even if the scar never fades.

It was time to move on.


	31. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

They partly wished that they've brought a picnic blanket, but sitting on the grass wasn't so bad either, ignoring the fact that it was a bit ticklish and an ant had crawled up Miku's arm until she looked down at her sandwich to find a wriggly black speck clinging onto the bread. With a shriek, she tossed the sandwich as far as possible – into the lake – and was now stealing bites from Rin's _bento_. Kaito chuckled, and Meiko picked at her salad while she watched, amused, as Rin protest against Miku's large, famished bites.

"I'm hungry!"

"Go buy yourself something else then! The cafeteria's right there!"

And there was a certain pink-haired girl heading _out_ of the cafeteria into the clear, spring day. The air quivered in on tense neutral ground between spring and summer, and many students had decided to venture out onto the vast Academy campus to spend their lunch break, but Teto, her hot pink hair bright against the beating sun, was the only one who caught Meiko's eye.

The teenage girl's pink eyes swept through the open grounds, and were attracted by frantic waving from a person sitting with a few others near the lake.

"Hey, Teto!" Meiko's powerful voice reached her ears easily. "Come on!"

It was awkward, suddenly joining a group of people you barely knew, except-

"Hey, you're in my Art class, aren't you?" Rin's smile was beautiful, untainted by greed, her voice high and sweet but casual and welcoming.

"I remember you!" and Len was ready to trust whoever his sister trusts, but it was no longer blind obedience. "You sit just across the room, right?"

Teto nodded timidly, a small smile hanging on her lips. She simply could not blame them for things they don't even remember doing.

Spring was passing, summer was coming, and it was a new beginning, after all.

 **~o*o~**

"Shut up!"

"You shut up first!"

Sibling rivalry is truly something mysterious, entertaining, but very complicated in the network of emotions threaded into each insult.

"You snot-faced, pig nosed piece of-"

"We basically have the same face, you idiot!"

"You-! Just stop stealing my dessert!"

"Well, sorry to be you, but _I made it!_ "

Haku's voice was exasperated and amused at that same time as she patted her friend on the shoulder. "Neru, calm down…"

Iroha chuckled, turning to Yukari, who sat across her. "I doubt I'd ever be able to get use to so many people."

"Oh, I don't know," Yukari replied, smiling quietly. She glanced at Rion, who was silently watching the entire exchange by one side, grinning as the others goofed around. "I'm plenty happy here."

"Didn't say I wasn't," Iroha retorted.

"Don't worry," Gumi interjected. "Neru's always like that." She nudged IA. "Remember when she got so mad at Nero she ran away from her own dorm room?"

Iroha was incredulous. "She what?"

Beside her, Hibiki turned towards them. "Who what?" Piko blinked, curious.

"Well, we were just reminiscing about that time when Neru-"

"Shut up!" The blonde's face flushed in anger and embarrassment.

Of course, Nero would take any opportunity to stand against his sister. "Dude, you seriously need to improve your insults. Using shut up so many times would only make you sound stupid and uneducated."

"No wonder she ran away," a quiet voice spoke up. "If you told me education was how to swear and different ways to tell people to shut their trap, I'd run away from you too."

Nine pairs of wide eyes pivoted to Rion, not expecting the comment to come from _her_ , of all people.

Then, very slowly and deliberately, Hibiki drew in a deep breath, and said, _"Buuuuurrn."_

And that was when they cracked. Laughter overflowed uncontrollably, accompanied by tears of mirth, even though the situation had not been particularly funny. But it was a bright, happy day, and they were willing to match their mood with the weather. The moment seemed almost perfect, a fond memory to look back and clutch close, seemingly unable to be broken by anyth-

"Um…"

And Mayu was laughing then, on her perch on the roof of the school. She clutched her stuffed bunny close as she giggled, her axe resting beside her leg, the polished blade reflecting the sunlight. It was just _so_ funny though, and she thought that things just couldn't get any better.

Hibiki Lui's mouth was clamped shut, his face slowly reaching the shade of a tomato as Ring Suzune peered curiously at the boisterous group, most of whom were still chuckling.

"If you don't mind…" she began timidly, "May I join…?"

And that was the last of the conversation Mr. Hiyama heard. He had decided that the students outside were a bit _too_ rowdy for his concentration, as he still had several piles of papers to grade, and so he slid his window shut, willing to sacrifice the soothing warm breeze that had previously flowed into his office. But annoying as the children may be sometimes, the teacher couldn't help but smile as he glanced at each of their open, comfortable expressions.

The students weren't just happy, they were something more. They were together, they were friends. They had broken down walls to breathe in the fresh air and they were _alive_.

They were at home in a school perched in the middle of an overgrowing forest, and to them, it was just another day at the Vocaloid Academy.

Just another bright, living day that will last forever and ever, and the laughter shall never end.

 **~The End~**

* * *

 **We're done! Thanks for reading! Bye!**


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